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‘Top of the Town’ By Karen Phillips It was a sad day for Mt Evelyn residents when the old ‘Top of the Town’ building was demolished recently. Originally a bakery, the shop had been an icon of Mt Evelyn for around 80 years, commanding the main street and visible to anyone approaching the township via York Road. Its history goes back still further, as it was not the first shop on the site. Lilydale grocer Mr William Bowring started a bakery in Mt Evelyn, probably in the late 1920s. His daughter Edna and son-in-law Ted Matthews assisted him. The Produce Store next door had a billiard room to cater for workers on the Silvan Dam. When the dam was finished, the business was losing money. One night it went up in flames and the bakery went with it. Ted Matthews built the simple but attractive weatherboard building that replaced it and
stood until recently. Ted inherited the business when Mr Bowring died in 1940. Ted sold the bakery to a Mr Perkins in 1947. Decades later, locals still remembered the delicious aromas of Perkins’ bread baking. The shop became a general store in the 1960s and was taken over by the Watts family in the 1970s. The store appeared in the background in an episode of the TV series ‘Matlock Police’ that was filmed in Mt Evelyn in 1972.
Nola Burrows ran it as a milk bar in the 1980s. The name ‘Top of the Town’ was in use by 1996, when it featured in the Herald Sun ‘Melbourne Postcard’ series. Until about five years ago the shop sold pet supplies, with the name ‘Top of the Town’ still faintly visible under the paintwork on the sign. The building stood empty from 2015, but still it came as a shock to see it reduced to a pile of rubble on February 14 2020. All that we have as a reminder is David Monks’ mural on the wall of the present bakery on the Wray Crescent/ Station Street corner. One by one, those old shops of the '20s, '30s and '40s have been disappearing, taking many fond memories with them. Only two of these older-style shops are now left in Mt Evelyn. One houses the florist and dress shop in Wray Crescent. The other is the former Post Office, now a gift shop, on the corner of Wray Crescent and Snowball Avenue.
SNIPPETS For more information, contact 1300 787 624 or mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au.
Sherbrooke U3A Sherbrooke U3A will host an end of term lunch and guest speaker, Margaret Dumpleton, on 27 March at Upwey U3A Hall. The event is scheduled for 12pm and the topic will be Music Cruises. Visitors are welcome and encouraged to bring a plate of food to share.
Monbulk Community Hub Free drop-in IT sessions for seniors are hosted every Friday in March from 10am-12pm at the Monbulk Community Hub. Registration is not required. The sessions provide assistance with computer, laptop, tablet or iPad and smartphone use. It is provided by the Rotary Club Of Monbulk and District.
Weed workshop A free weed workshop will be held at the Ash Wednesday Bushfire Education Centre in Cockatoo on 21 March from 10am-12pm. The workshop will provide information about how to identify environmental weeds on properties and methods of control. Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/5961 56
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Tuesday, 17 March, 2020
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Olinda Community House Exciting courses are being offered at Olinda Community House for term 1 this year. 12440662-CG06-20
LABOR MEMBER FOR EASTERN VICTORIA REGION
“The Kingdom of God on earth” 12440398-FA06-20
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On the first Wednesday of every month members of LACK meet for Armchair Travel where they sit and watch a video of various trips, countries, tours and more. The gathering allows those that attend to see the world in the comfort of an armchair and is a friendly way to spend the afternoon. Life Activities Club Knox is a member of the Life Activities Clubs Victoria. For a copy of the groups current newsletter and more information, contact 9727 2726
Harriet Shing MP
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Life Activities Club Knox
DELIVERING FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES & FAMILIES AS WE GROW.
Read the Bible and find out the GOOD news of what God has in store for the earth and mankind. To have the hope of living for ever in a trouble-free world gives comfort and assurance now. God’s promise will SURELY come to pass so take up the offer! Lear
A New Zealand Tennis Tour information night will be held at Upwey South Tennis Club on 18 March. Off the back of last year’s success, Extreme Tennis will again bring an action-packed tennis tour around the North Island of New Zealand from the 6-20 December. The tour caters for all standards and players. Children will play in main draw, consolation and consolation plate events as well as offering cultural and friendship opportunities with fellow-minded peers. For further details and itinerary, visit www. extremetennis.com.au/?p=2557. Those interested can attend the information night to hear more about last year’s participants and their experiences. RSVP is not essential but interest can be registered by contacting contactus@extremetennis.com.au.
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Explore all options at www.och.net.au Contact Christine on 9751 1264 for any enquiries or to book into a class.
216 Commercial Road, Morwell VIC 3840 P: 1300 103 199 E: harriet.shing@parliament.vic.gov.au harrietshingmp @ShingvWorld Authorised by H Shing, 216 Commercial Rd, Morwell. Funded from Parliamentary budget.
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