through the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the suburb grew slowly and remained mostly farmland and scrub. there was no water supply in the district by 1900 and by 1924 the area was still without gas or electricity. flooding was a major problem in the area. eden park and gribblehurst park became lakes during heavy winter rain, as did the reserve land east of sandringham shops. after a heavy storm in 1919, locals recalled boating through the streets and floodwaters "flowing through the bay windows" of one low-lying house. substantial development only came around 1925 with the construction of the tramline, resulting in the core of what is now the sandringham shopping centre being built. rows of evenly spaced streets spread on each side of sandringham road and were lined with wooden edwardian houses. large parts of the area remained undeveloped however, and services such as telephone, electricity and gas were only provided at a minimum level.