Frankston then and now: Photos show suburb’s evolution
THE Grimwade Clocktower has stood the test of time but many other Frankston landmarks are now just a memory. These historical photos show a side of Frankston we loved and lost.
Melbourne
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THE Grimwade Clocktower has stood the test of time but many other Frankston landmarks are now just a memory.
The Ball & Welch shop on Playne Street is long gone, while Frankston’s original Coles and McDonald’s stores were forced to find new homes in the suburb.
The Grand Hotel meanwhile looks better than ever thanks to an expensive facelift in recent years.
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Frankston began as a small fishing village, but by the early 1900s about 800 people called the suburb home and a retail and commercial precinct had developed around Young Street.
It gradually developed as a seaside resort, gained city status in 1966 and by 1982 over 80,000 people lived in the greater Frankston area.
Using Google Street View images as a comparison to photos taken over the last 50 years, we take a look at how Frankston has changed.
Frankston now and then
Anyone who’s passed through Frankston in the last 60 or so years will be familiar with the iconic Grimwade Clocktower.
Taking pride of place on the Nepean Highway between Wells and Playne streets, the tower was erected around 1950 in honour of local man, Major General Harold Grimwade.
Frankston’s first Coles supermarket sat behind the corner of the Nepean Hwy and Wells St.
The supermarket has since relocated to the Bayside Shopping Centre and its original building was demolished before being turned into a carpark.
499 Nepean Hwy was once home to the Bay View Hotel, established in 1873 by William Davey Jr.
Sitting on the intersection affectionately called ‘Pub Corner’, it’s been known as The Grand Hotel since at least the 1950s.
At its peak, Ball & Welch was Melbourne’s leading department store.
Opening in Frankston in the 1960s as part of the company’s suburban expansion, the store took pride of place on Playne Street.
It didn’t last long though, as Ball & Welch closed all stores in 1976 due to declining profits.
Quayside Shopping Centre opened in 1991 between Ross Smith Ave and Station St.
Its owner John Gandel later acquired the nearby Bayside Shopping Centre and Balmoral Arcade, amalgamating them into one shopping complex.
Home to Frankston’s first McDonald’s, Wells St has undergone massive changes since the 1980s.
Previously plagued by parking problems, a $4.24 million upgrade of the street was completed in 2016 making improvements to pedestrian access and safety.
The changes included a widening of footpaths, the installation of street furniture, and addition of more plants and trees.
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