A community reflects
Good afternoon everyone. My name is Dawn Dickson - and as you’ll probably realise I wasn’t
around in the early days of Noble Park – but I can speak about the past 60 years.
Those who have been involved with Noble Park’s centenary celebrations are very pleased that the
history is now in print - and that we have been able to keep these priceless memory boards to be
shared with the community, for as long as they remain intact.
Let’s think about the word “community”. It is described as a group of interacting people, living in
some proximity, either in space, time or a relationship. It usually refers to a social unit larger than
a household, a unit that shares common values and has social cohesion. A community is a group, or
a society, helping each other. And this was much more obvious 100 years ago than it is today.
People have become too busy, too self centred, and very few are prepared to work in a voluntary
capacity for the betterment of others. These days too many people have their hands out, for
payment.
But from time to time we come across huge trials, national disasters, immense human suffering
and such, and it is only then, that we see that glimmer of community spirit still shining. To keep
this world in good shape we should encourage community spirit.
My involvement with the Noble Park Public Hall for the past 32 years gave me an insight into
community spirit. It was something that I thought everyone had – my own family were pioneers in
many local activities and we were taught that we all had jobs to do, and that we should always help
others. In 1986 someone broke in the Noble Park Public Hall and set a fire that almost completely
gutted the main hall. The police alerted the trustees and at about 4 am we sat on the footpath
across from the hall watching the orange flames shooting into the sky as the firefighters were losing
their battle to save it. In the front of the hall was a shop that used to be a photography studio, and
we’d converted the shop a museum filled with all the old photos and newspaper clippings that local
residents had shared with us. They were melting from the walls - but one large portrait with a glass
covering was relatively untouched, just some singeing of the frame. It was a portrait of the late
Arthur John “Paddy” O’Donoghue, my uncle. Even Paddy, who usually managed to solve everyone
else’s problems, couldn’t solve ours. And Noble Park lost so much of its history that day.
But what was found was immense community spirit. Because we were still there, hours later, when
daylight came and people learned what had happened. Nobody was allowed through the barriers,
but twenty or thirty people huddled together, crying. They all had fond memories to share, and I
realised then that the Noble Park Public Hall played an important part in the lives of thousands of
people. It was the home of most organisations, associations, clubs, schools, religious groups and
sporting groups. And I knew that the spirit of Noble Park would live as long as we could restore the
hall and retain those memories. The people of Noble Park fought back by fundraising and the
following year we were up and running again.
But what we lost can never be replaced, precious photos. Now its in print, and we have access to
the internet - so websites can be developed and that’s one of my next projects to put up a website
for the Noble Park Public Hall. The history will then there for everyone, forever.
In the early eighties the trustees, under the leadership of Paddy O’Donoghue, built a new hall on the
side, to accommodate the growing number of hirers. Paddy walked to the hall every day,
overseeing every single move. But then just before the extension was completed Paddy passed
away. His wife Olive became a trustee, and the following year in 1982 I joined the trust. The five
of us had a good support network within our hiring groups, particularly the tennis club, and with
their help, we set about holding a “Grand Reunion of Noble Park Residents” in April of 1983. It was
hugely successful. Part of the celebration involved me putting together an updated compilation of
Noble Park’s history and when editing the book I realised that the following year, 1984 marked
Noble Park’s 75th birthday , we had read of the Diamond Jubilee celebration held in 1959, so we
decided that we would have to do something just as big, if not bigger for the 75th anniversary.
I still shake my head in disbelief that we were able to put on such a good show over a weekend. It
was also the year of Victoria’s 150th anniversary – so that was a year where history was the topic of
many conversations. We call on the firebrigade, Rotary, Lions, and Apex clubs to help. We held a
Back to Noble Park supper dance that attracted 300 people. The moment the band started the
dance floor filled with 4 year olds to 100 year olds.
The guests of honour, were Messrs Harold and Bon Buckley, the sons of Noble Park’s pioneer,
Allan Frank Buckley, and their family members. The family travelled over from Blackwood, South
Australia to join us. Councillor Jan Trezise was most helpful in organising and entertaining the
Buckley family and her friendship with them continued for some time after. We were able to have
Buckley Street closed off and there were pony rides, fancy bike parades. Robert Kabbas, a silver
medalis t at the LA Olympics mingled with the crowd. The Buckley family also visited the football
ground in Moodemere Street – that land had also been donated to the residents by the Buckley
family.
All the local schools and sports groups were involved, we had choirs, demonstrations of
rap dancing, tap dancing, ballroom dancing, and folk dancing. The highlight of the celebration
was the official speeches, when Cr Bill Warner introduced Harold Buckley who spoke about his
brother, Noble Buckley, known to the family as Nobby. Harold confirmed that Noble Park was
named after his brother who had been a pilot in war time. (There had always been some dispute
over where the name Noble Park came from – some thought it was from Noble Explosives however
the Buckleys were adamant that their father named his subdivision after his eldest son.
Many of the original streets were named after the other Buckley children.
Closing the ceremony I had the last word when I said “centenary celebrations will be held in the year
2009, hopefully at the Noble Park Public Hall”.
This was noted in a Dandenong Journal article I
recently found.
In the 25 years that followed lots of things happened and I’d forgotten about the centenary coming
up until in 2008 when I was asked to speak at a legacy group at Noble Park RSL. When I looked at
my little Noble Park I remembered that the centenary year was going to be the next year and I
mentioned in my talk that I hoped someone would organise some celebrations because I knew I
didn’t have the time to do much. The RSL president, Gordon Murray was there, and that set the
ball rolling – and before long a very enthusiastic committee was formed and these wonderful
historical display boards are the end result.
In cleaning up Mrs O’Donoghue’s house recently I’ve recovered a few items one of them being a
newspaper page from 1973 - it shows the Noble Park Public Hall Diamond Jubilee anniversary held
in May of 1973 (as distinct from the Diamond Jubilee for Noble Park.
It shows a photo of the guest of honour, Captain Noble Buckley, son of Frank Allan Buckley. All
attendees of that celebration were given Paddy O’Donoghue’s history 24 page booklet.
Attendees of those celebrations included: the families of Buckleys, Luxfords, Smiths, Bells,
Brewers, Isaacs, Evans, O’Donoghues, Baptists, Wachters, Alexanders, Richards, Powers, Bones,
Copas, Maxwells, Marshalls, Scotts and Vernons. Many of those names you will see on the history
boards on display today. Interestingly too, a ballroom dancing demonstration was given at the
Hall’s diamond jubilee by Mr Jeffrey Beck and one of his pupils, that was 1973, well when we
celebrated in 1984 Mr Beck gave another demonstration, and I’m not sure if he did a demo at the
2009 Centenary celebration, but I do know that he is still teaching ballroom dancing in the Noble
Park Public Hall.
Reading the names of those pioneering families, they are still names we are familiar with,
descendents of those families always seem to patronise any event that relates to Noble Park’s
history. My own family, on my mother’s side, the O’Donoghues, arrived in Noble Park in the
1920’s, and my father’s side, the Bell’s, arrived soon after. Both families contributed a lot to the
community, serving on school committees, progress associations, sporting committees, and clubs.
Some of my generation of these 2 families have tried to follow or parents in that respect and we
have encouraged our children to do the same. Eventually the break comes when we move away
from Noble Park, but even then, a little bit of Noble Park stays with us. I know for me it will always
be ‘home’, even thought I sleep in another suburb.
It is important that we preserve our history – these days we can scan onto computers, so there is
less chance of losing photos to fires.
It will be great for future generations to be able to access things about the past, and I think the book,
and the history boards will be around for another generation or two.
I encourage you to spend time reading the boards, and if there are any questions we will endeavour
to answer them.
Thank you for your attention and I now hand over to Daryl Pitman.
Dawn Dickson
June 2012