After War was declared on September 3, 1939 Councils began to look at what Air Raid Precautions (A. R.P.) they could take in their own area. The Dandenong Journal could report on September 6 that the Dandenong Shire Council was amongst the earliest councils to nominate a district warden, in the person of Cr C. E. Isaac (1), and as First Aid Area Commandant, Dr. G. Boileau (2). Preliminary steps have been taken by the district warden in dividing the closely settled portion of the shire into sections, appointing a warden for each section and arranging for the training of these wardens in air raid precautions (3).
They held A. R. P and First Aid training courses throughout the Shire and established First Aid Posts As Dr Boileau explained, these First Aid Posts were the key point in the successful evacuation of any injured, he said. The effectiveness of A.R.P. depended on three things - the collection, the classification and the evacuation of the injured. They had to realise that Dandenong was no longer an open town and consequently might be more vulnerable to attack. An enemy’s most important objective was to create panic. A.R.P.’s aim was to prevent it, and that was why they wanted the most efficient organisation possible (4).
Training was also provided in another area Rescue, Demolition and Decontamination services are also putting in a lot of hard training and covering much ground. They have had lectures on repairs to water services, gas and electrical supplies, explosives, repair and use of rope pulleys, etc (5).
The trenches, which cost £750, were partially subsidised by the Public Works Department and they were located in Dandenong on vacant land known as Rodd’s paddock at the corner of McCrae and Walker Sts.; on the old market site (100 people); along the highway (to serve the market); up the back of Thomas St., between Clow and Scott Streets (100 people); Thomas St., between Scott and Walker Sts. (150 people) ; and at the bottom end of Thomas St., near Godfrey’s (100 people). At Spring Vale trenches will be be created near the school ground and on vacant land north of the railway line (7). The trenches were shored up with wood, but were uncovered. There was no provision for trenches at Noble Park as it was open country with no congested areas (8).
Dandenong also implemented another protection - an air raid siren which was tested in August 1942 and it was a very successful exercise - All knew the large number of people congregated in the market of a Tuesday afternoon, yet in 10 minutes there was not one person standing in the market or its vicinity. The people had given the most wonderful co-operation. Lonsdale street, too, had been cleared of people in 4 minutes (9).
Dandenong, like all of Victoria was fortunate that they did not have to face an air raid unlike Northern Australia and by October 1944 the air raid trenches were no longer deemed to be necessary, and were considered unsightly and the Council was given permission to fill them in (10). The job was put out to tender and there was quite a bit of competition for the material in the Dandenong Air Raid shelters and council on Monday accepted Mr. T. P. Carroll's offer of £45 for the lot. Councillors were pleasantly surprised at the financial outcome. Mr. Whitehead’s offer of £30 to fill in the trenches was also accepted (11).
In the Cranbourne Shire at a meeting in January 1942, Cr Greaves (18) complained about the lack of A.R.P information. The meeting was primarily to consider evacuation plans but Cr Greaves said there are other matters to be considered besides evacuation plans, such as civilian air raid protection and preparations to extinguish fires likely to be caused by bombing raids,” he stated. “Citizens are anxious to know what to do. Is there any need to suggest that trenches be dug? (19). Fires caused from bombs was an important issue for the rural shire, where, as Cr Greaves pointed out in 5 minutes a thousand fires could occur and it would be impossible for anybody to cope with them all (20). Another point raised by Cr Greaves was that in the case of a complete evacuation what action was likely to be taken in regard to stock. In his district alone there were enough cattle to supply an army for a month (21).
Most of his issues, apart form the cattle question, were addressed at meeting the next month, reported on at length in the Dandenong Journal -
Mr C. E. Isaac, M.L.C., Deputy District Warden at Dandenong, attended last Friday’s meeting of the Council and with the aid of Cr R. Campbell (District Warden) (22) and Dr. A. B. Hewitt (23) drew up a plan of action for the shire. This was unanimously adopted, and is to be carried into effect straight away. In an address to councillors, Mr Isaac said that the plan submitted for organising and training A.R.P. services must needs be adapted to country conditions. In their shire, fire prevention and protection during the summer months would form a very large part of the organisation. The individual responsibility of citizens had to be brought home to them, as it was only the A.R.P. responsibility to do for the citizens what they could not do for themselves. The plan, prepared by Mr Isaac, Cr Campbell and Dr. Hewitt, and adopted in its entirety is: ORGANISING: Each riding to be divided into three parts, forming 12 areas in all, each under the control of an area warden. Enrolment forms to be distributed by area wardens for volunteers. Each area to be divided into sections and a sector warden appointed for each. First Aid units of from 10 to 20 persons to be established at Cranbourne, Pearcedale, Tooradin, Kooweerup, Bayles, Catani or Yannathan, and Lang Lang; two Mobile First Aid posts also to be arranged for. A.R.P. Control Centre to be established in the Cranbourne Shire hall. TRAINING: A.R.P. training classes to be held at Cranbourne, Kooweerup and Lang Lang. Special instructions in methods of dealing with incendiary bombs and fire-fighting to be given to wardens and citizens. Instruction in First Aid to be continued and posts staffed as trained personnel becomes available (24).
By March 1942, 100 people were attending First Aid Classes at Koo Wee Rup and 180 people had attended an A.R.P. meet at Lang Lang (25). The Dandenong Journal also reported on an interesting side effect of the War - Advice from the State Electricity Commission revealed that “brown-out” restrictions have reduced the shire’s annual street lighting-bill as follows: - Cranbourne, from £71/5/ to £60/6/; Kooweerup, Lang Lang, Tooradin, Bayles, Catani, and Dalmore, from £213/15/ to £l03/37/ (26).
It was fortunate that the local area did not suffer from Air Raids, but they did all they could to be ready. Almost a million Australians served in World War Two; 30,000 were Prisoners of War and over 39,000 died whilst serving (27). I don't know how many locals enlisted or did not return but many families suffered a loss and thus our area did not come out completely unscathed.
Trove list: I have created a list of articles on Trove, connected to Air Raid Precautions in the Shires of Dandenong, Cranbourne and Berwick, access it here.
Footnotes(1) Cyril Everett Isaac (1884 -1965) established his firm, C. E. Isaac and Sons of Noble Park, in 1922 and by the 1930s had the largest seedling trade in Victoria. Cyril trained as a School Teacher and in February 1911 was appointed the inaugural Secretary of the newly established Victoria State Schools' Horticultural Society; one of its aims was to promote amongst teachers and pupils a genuine love of gardening and flowers. He was a Shire of Dandenong Councillor from 1922 until 1931, then 1937 until 1941 and a member of the Legislative Council from 1940 until 1952. I have written more about him here https://victoriaspast.blogspot.com/2021/08/telling-time-with-flowers-floral-clocks.html
(2) Gilbert George Boileau, was the Dandenong Shire's Health Officer. In February 1945, on the death of his father, he succeeded to the family Baronetcy, created in 1838, and became Sir Gilbert Boileau. You can read about his forebears in the Dandenong Journal of February 28, 1945, here. Gilbert died in 1978, aged 80.
(3) Dandenong Journal, September 6, 1939, see here.
(5) Dandenong Journal, July 16, 1941, see here.
(6) Dandenong Journal, January 7, 1942, see here.
(8) Dandenong Journal, January 14, 1942, see here.
(9) Dandenong Journal, April 8, 1942, see here.
(11) Dandenong Journal, November 1, 1944, see here.
(12) Arthur George Robinson. Son of George Washington Robinson, Shire of Berwick Engineer, 1876-1890, 1894- 1904. Arthur was a long term Shire of Berwick Councillor and Shire President 1939/1940, 1951/1952 and 1963/1964. He died in 1982, aged 97. (Source: In the Wake of the Pack Tracks)
(14) Dandenong Journal, January 28, 1942, see here.
(15) Dandenong Journal, March 25, 1942, see here. Mrs Greaves was Anne Greaves the wife of Sydney Greaves, a grazier of Berwick; Mrs W. G. Farrell, was Alice Farrell, wife of the local doctor William Farrell in Pakenham; Mrs Patterson was Enid Patterson, the wife of the local Garfield doctor, James Patterson; I have no information on Mrs Phillip and Reginald Barnes was of Alston, Upper Beaconsfield.
(17) Dandenong Journal, February 25, 1942, see here.
(19) Dandenong Journal, January 14, 1942, see here.
(21) Dandenong Journal, January 14, 1942, see here.
(22) Robert Campbell, of Clyde North. Councillor from 1931 until his death in September 1953, at the age of 71; Shire President 1937 to 1940. (Source: The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire by Niel Gunson)
(24) Dandenong Journal, February 11, 1942, see here.
(25) Dandenong Journal, March 11, 1942, see here.
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