[click to enlarge]
Looking towards Walker Street from near Pultney Street.
On the left if the Savings Bank, an impressive building in its time, having only been built for a couple of years. Next to it we find John Howells Hairdressing Saloon and Tobacconist. This building was built for G. K. Dunbar, by 1877, as Dunbars Royal Hotel, replacing his original hotel next to it on the corner of Walker and Lonsdale. About 9 years later a new Royal Hotel was built on the corner of Walker Street, which at the time of this photo was run by F. M. Donald.
The old Royal Hotel (Howells shop in this picture), would later suffer a suspicious fire in December 1914, after Douglas John Milne had taken over the business from John Howells. The building, after being renovated with the construction of the new Royal Hotel next door, became known as Sudings Building, owned by A & I Suding.
The new Royal Hotel was demolished in the early 1960s to make way for the AMP building, which itself was replaced by the present Civic Centre. At the time of demolition of the Royal Hotel, on the corner of Walker and Lonsdale, two deep wells (made from handmade bricks) were uncovered under 231–235 Lonsdale Street, that was said to provide Dandenongs first building that had its own water supply.
G. K. Dunbar was also responsible for the first property to be built at 221–229 Lonsdale Street, his two-storey hotel, that remained intact until 1922 when the hotel was replaced with an arcade and shops later known as the Mayfair shops. The rear of this property facing Thomas Street was subdivided, becoming the Boomerang Theatre that opened in 1924. In 1950 it became known as the Mayfair Theatre and was demolished in 1968.