By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
BLOW out the candles and start unwrapping the presents – Endeavour Hills is turning 40.
Residents throughout the suburb are being called on to help support the 40th anniversary of the first land sales in Endeavour Hills this month through joining in a range of activities.
Planned celebrations include an art competition for primary school age children, a historical photo display and oral history recordings by local residents, as well as a talk on the history of the suburb held at the Endeavour Hills library on 18 November.
The photo display will take place at Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre from this Friday 15 November for 10 days.
Peggy Clark, who has lived in Endeavour Hills since November 1972 and has contributed photos to the historical display, moved into the area when there were roughly only six houses there and farm land stretched for almost as far as the eye could see.
“We had friends who lived in Doveton so we used to visit the area before we bought land there.
“It wasn’t flat, we liked the undulation,” she said.
“Now there’s a shopping centre, transport. It used to be very peaceful but now you get a lot of traffic.”
While times have certainly changed in Endeavour Hills, Ms Clark’s memories of the suburb’s beginnings remain etched in her mind.
“It used to be an area where people used to drop their stray cats off and we used to take them in,” she said.
“People also used to knock on our door when their cars got bogged in the paddocks. It was quite funny.”
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan recently met with Ms Clark who showed him her photos of an early Endeavour Hills with grassy paddocks, empty roads, a few framed houses and newly made roads.
Mr Donnellan said a display was the perfect opportunity to reflect on the origins of Endeavour Hills, which dates back to the 1830s.
“You will see over 80 streets in Endeavour Hills named in honour of Captain Cook and his crew,” Mr Donnellan said.
“This is a great opportunity for local residents to reminisce, dig out their old photos and memories of Endeavour Hills and share them with the community for display at the Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre, as part of the celebrations.”
