After sharing a foundry in Dandenong with Hugh Murray & Son from 1938, by 1949 it was clear that the W G Goetz-owned Eastern Metallurgical Founders needed to build their own foundry (see main page).
Following the purchase of land in Dandenong on the corner of Grace Street (nowadays Cheltenham Road) and Greaves Street (nowadays Carroll Lane), the services of architect James H. Wardrop were engaged and plans were submitted to the Department Of Labour (Victoria) for approval, which was granted on 26th January 1951.
Click images below for larger versions
Below: Cover of a file regarding the plans and construction of the new foundry. The plans were approved by the Department Of Labour (Victoria) on 26 January 1951; construction was completed by 30th October 1952.
Below: Part of the approval process from the Department Of Labour (Victoria) involved completing a two-page questionnaire.
Questionnaire page 1
Questionnaire page 2
A note stapled to the bottom of page 2
Below: Blueprint submitted for approval
Stamp of approval on the rear of the sheet.
Below: Approval letter dated 26th January, 1951 from the Department Of Labour (Victoria), addressed to W G Goetz company secretary Frank Craddock at Goetz’s Hall Street, Spotswood address.
Aerial view of the foundry (centre, with another factory at left and house at right), 22 February 1957. The sale yards were established the year after in the paddock to the right, after the stock market in central Dandenong closed. Grace Street (Cheltenham Road) east-west across the photo, Greaves Street to the north, Grace Street to the south. Railway line at bottom of photo. In 1962, the foundry was extended towards the railway line boundary. Nowadays the foundry site is occupied by a Shell service station.
Part of a larger photo: “Aerial view of railway station, Dandenong.” Airspy. 22 Feb 1957.
SLV ID 9941021059907636 Filename dd000507
Thanks to Eldritch from the Old Dandenong Facebook group for bringing it to my attention! Note the washing on the line at the house, suggesting that the house wasn’t being used as an office at the time. In the aerial photos below, the house’s yard is different (fence, shed and clothesline are gone), and there is a path from the foundry to the house, suggesting that the house may have been used as an admin office by the time of the 1984 photo.
Below: Another couple of photos sent in by Eldritch from the Old Dandenong Facebook group of the site.
March 17 1984, also showing the old sale yards.
Click image for a larger view
December 9, 1992
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Enlargement of 1992 photo with boundary
