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Sandown Park

(3171, 24 km SE, Greater Dandenong City)

Sandown derives its name from the racecourse established at Springvale and named Sandown racecourse in 1891 after the racecourse south-west of London. The State Government closed the racecourse in 1931, and it was used briefly for grazing, greyhound racing and military training. After World War II it was developed by the Melbourne Racing Club, and a motor racing circuit opened in 1962. Modern horseracing facilities followed. In the meantime the Sandown Park Greyhound Coursing Club had been established nearby, and the Sandown railway station opened in 1965 to serve both facilities and the rapidly developing housing estates.

Gillian Hibbins

References
Hibbins, G.M., A history of the City of Springvale, Lothian, Melbourne, 1984. Details