Jean Hamilton, whose father, Frederick Payne, was the chief huntsman, lived on the property until her early 20's, and recalled those early days in an interview she did in 1991.

"The house we lived in was right where the (Huntingdale) clubhouse is now," Jean said. "We were in the nearest building to the main entrance, which is still in the same place.

"My father looked after the hounds, There were about 40 in the pack and they were exercised every morning on the ground heading toward Centre Road. There were also a lot of horses stabled there, and a pound with a couple of foxes in it.

"They (the foxes) were used mainly for drags. A cloth was placed in with them to play around with, then taken out and dragged across the country, leaving a scent for the hounds.

"In those days the grounds consisted of plenty of scrub and bracken fern, although it was mostly open country."

For most of the next decade the hunt club land once again became the habitat of the wild life that made its home amidst the scrub, the bracken fern and the ti-tree that grew unchecked on the sandy wastes and, up towards North Road, swampy reaches of what would, somewhat incredibly, become a golf course.

Back to Eastern, and it is not known precisely who first proposed that the club  move to the Sandbelt, but it's believed that in the mid-1930's the conviviality of Eastern's '19^th hole' after a round of golf would more and more often include speculation about a possible relocation. One member in particular had his mind set on taking the club south of the Yarra River, and it is the tireless manner with which he pursued this aim that Vincent Arthur (Vin) Russell, is deserved of the honour of being called the true father of Huntingdale.

From the first mention of the proposed new course, to the moment the first ball was struck (and long after), Vin Russell's name dominates proceedings. According to press reports of the time it was Russell who, in March, 1937, 'on his own initiative', placed a five pound deposit on the land that was eventually to become Huntingdale GC.

Two months later the first official acknowledgement of a possible move appeared in the Eastern GC minutes under the heading, 'Property at Oakleigh'. It says simply, 'At the conclusion of the business an informal discussion took place re the desirability of the property at Oakleigh South, with a view to conserve the future of Eastern GC".

'Eastern might not, rightly, be numbered among the wealthy clubs', Dillon wrote, 'but it may be doubted if any club has, in the energy and willingness to expend it, greater wealth than this Doncaster golfing organisation.

'All members seem to be on the most friendly and understanding terms and each seems to be imbued with a club spirit that is desired, but rarely attained at other clubs. Eastern is not a "royal," or what is called a "first-class" golf club, but it is a very real entity in the game'.

Yet, just nine days after the 'informal discussion', Russell reported back to the committee with a draft detailing the method of financing the possible purchase of the land at Oakleigh South (by a combination of loans and debentures). His enthusiasm must have been infectious, because the full committee agreed to inspect the property the following week.

One of Huntingdale's most revered golfers, the late Burtta Cheney, joined Eastern in 1937, and was in her early 20's during the relocation. She tells of visiting the new site and getting lost between the present clubhouse and the dam that sits off the 14^th (soon to be the 17^th) tee.

"I can remember the feeling of panic for a few moments, "she told researcher Arthur Ellis during an interview in the late 1980's "It was all scrub ti-tree and bog, all damp through there. I thought, 'Come on, don't be silly, just keep walking, it's only a narrow block. You'll get somewhere in a minute,' but it was so dense, so thick. There were a few big trees (but) the whole thing was almost sandy waste in those days, with scrub and ti-tree".

When the issue was put to the vote a show of hands resulted in 165 for, and just two against. The minutes state, 'The Chairman, amid applause, declared the motion duly carried'.

Some 50 years later, Ellis asked Burtta Cheney, who attended the meeting, about the members' attitude. 'We wanted to get to the sandbelt,' she said. 'We were getting some good players but we were losing them (to sandbelt clubs). We only had a lease on the land at Eastern; we were spending a terrific amount of money on trees and the dams, trying to improve it, but we realized we'd gone about as far as we could'.

Another foundation member who transferred from Eastern, Keith Wregg, had similar recollections. 'The committee wanted to do quite a lot of work to the old place (but) thought there was no future spending money on the clubhouse, or even the course, if there was no assurance they could stay there'.

Things moved very quickly once the decision to relocate was confirmed. It was estimated the cost of building a new course would be £22,000, so the Committee set in place arrangements to raise money for the move. It resolved to issue £25,000 worth of debentures to members and other suitable applicants, repayable in May, 1953.

At the same time Russell was able to negotiate an advance of £2500 from the Bank of Australasia, courtesy of a compelling letter he penned to the manager.

"These disadvantages have acted as a deterrent to the progress of the Club - members as they get older are unable to cope with the hills - members as they improve their golf naturally look to a better type of course and consequently leave the club - and summer golf is retarded by reason of the inability to grow a sufficient sole of grass on the hard fairway soil.

"These factors you will appreciate affect in no small degree the finances of the Club. The Club is not disposed to keep on improving the (Doncaster) property for the landlord year in, year out, with the possibility of having to move out eventually at the behest of the landlord and with no course for the members to play on.

"They prefer to ....move on in their own time, and to plan accordingly."