RLHP Local Stories

The RLHP Local Stories are organised into categories. Each story was originally published in the RLC News. Browse through the categories listed in the side panel.

To further research these topics, see the RLHP Bibliography.

Latest additions

• SCANDAL AS MELBOURNE GIRL WEDS ESCAPEE FROM ROWVILLE POW CAMP
   Army Camp / POW Camp

  On 20 September 1947 the Melbourne Truth newspaper ran a front page story in which it raged against the granting of a leave pass to a detained Italian POW escapee, Francesco Ponzoni, to enable him to marry his Australian sweetheart, June Peterson.
  Despite the fact that hundreds of Australian war brides had left our shores to live with their G.I. husbands in America, the Truth attempted to whip up a scandal about this isolated case thus showing that anti Italian prejudices were still running deeply even though the war had ended more than two years previously.

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• SCANDAL AS MELBOURNE GIRL WEDS ESCAPEE FROM ROWVILLE POW CAMP
   Army Camp / POW Camp

  On 20 September 1947 the Melbourne Truth newspaper ran a front page story in which it raged against the granting of a leave pass to a detained Italian POW escapee, Francesco Ponzoni, to enable him to marry his Australian sweetheart, June Peterson.
  Despite the fact that hundreds of Australian war brides had left our shores to live with their G.I. husbands in America, the Truth attempted to whip up a scandal about this isolated case thus showing that anti Italian prejudices were still running deeply even though the war had ended more than two years previously.

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• PLENTY OF FUN AT THE ROWVILLE DRIVE IN THEATRE
   Farming and Industry

  The September 2005 article about the Rowville Drive In Theatre has prompted former Rowville resident Gwen Hayes (nee Gill) to write the following account of her time working at the Drive In during its first year of operation.

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• CUSTOMS OF THE ABORIGINES - CEREMONY OF TANDERRUM
   The Kulin People

  The following is the fifth account to be published in the R-LC News in recent years relating the customs and beliefs of the aborigines of the Western Port and Yarra tribes who passed through Rowville and Lysterfield as they moved around their territory in their constant search for food.
  Once again this extract is taken from the writings of William Thomas, the Assistant Protector of Aborigines, who travelled with the tribes.
  

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• WILLIAM DANA
   The Native Police

  In the May 2004 edition of the R-LC News I published a story under the title Attempted Murder in the Police Paddocks. The story recounted the shooting of William Dana by a brother officer, William Walsh, and raised questions about the good character (or otherwise) of Dana.
  The following extracts from The Chronicles of Early Melbourne recall two episodes that occurred when William Dana was aged 19 and 20 respectively. Dana was 25 when shot by Walsh and 30 when he married his brother’s widow Sophia, the alleged key person in the shooting incident. (Attempted Murder in the Police Paddocks is also published in the three volume set, Rowville and Lysterfield Stories, that is available at the Rowville Library.)
  Bryan Power
  

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Latest comments

• From: Corinne Brennan
  Re: Rowville Pets Memorial Gardens
  Id like to complain about the treatment my mother recieved on picking up her beloved dogs ashes. We had our family dog b...


• From: Kellie Adam nee: OConnor
  Re: DUNSCOMBE Jean Dunscombe 1929 - 1993
  Jean and Harry Dunscombe were known to us kids as Auntie Jean and Uncle Harry. I have wonderful memories of the family,...


• From: martin joseph gilligan
  Re: GILLIGAN Martin Joseph
  Hello was just gogiling my self and found there was quite a few marty's by the name of joseph gilligans so i thought...


• From: Berita Bergin
  Re: BERGIN The Bergin Family of Rowville
  I am a Bergin, my father is William Bergin born 16sept 1928 are we related in anyway....


• From: Richard Flynn
  Re: ROW The Row Family of Stamford Park
  I am the eldest grandson of Richard Goldsbrough Row from his second marriage (after Nellie Stewart!) to Elizabeth Lillia...