Dandenong Police Paddocks and Churchill NP - Pictorial Heritage 1837 to 2017

Proposals and Plans

DANDENONG GOAT RANCH. Mr F. W. Barton, the owner of 600 Angora goats, has applied to the Lands Department for 124 acres of the Dandenong Police Paddock as he proposes to open a goat farm-the goats to be fed on blackberry bushes in the area.   The department has noted the application pending a decision as to the disposal of the land. (Gippsland Times Apr 23 1925) GOATS AND PARK. Members of the Town Planning Association suggested to the Premier (Mr. Hogan) last week that goats should be placed in the Dandenong police paddock to clean out the weeds. Mr. Hogan replied that 500 goats would not.do the work. The blackberries and other weeds had been cut by unemployed, but were certain to grow again, and the matter was giving the' Government great trouble. The Cabinet was determined to act, and hoped before long to solve the problem of the paddock and the noxious weeds. The Association then asked that the whole of the 1,800 acres in the paddock be reserved as a national park. The Premier said it was prepared to bring the land under the control of the Lands Department, and the Government would then decide on its disposal. If the land were handed over to trustees as a national park, it would cost the controlling body from £6 to £7 an acre to keep the weeds under, and the trustees would find it impossible to deal with the trouble, owing to the financial responsibility. The Government intended to strictly enforce the Act, and whoever was in possession of the police paddock would have to destroy the blackberries. There were large areas of land close to Dandenong available for recreation reserves, but the Government intended to keep as much as possible for the public. The request of the Association would receive every consideration. (Dandenong Journal Oct 13, 1927) ARBORETUM A plan to establish a 150-acre Arboretum at Churchill Park (Dandenong Police Paddocks), as an extension of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens was mentioned at a special meeting of the Churchill Park Committee on Monday. The proposal has arisen from the fact that the Botanical Gardens have, reached the peak of development, ahd  there is no outlet for the expenditure of funds made available under the £20,000 Miss Gibson Trust. There are many species of trees, both local and overseas, that are not represented in the Botanical Gardens and there is no prospect of any further planting there. (Dandenong Journal, July 31 1946)