David Thompson – Page 5 – Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society

Fred Jackson Reserve

People, Places, Port Melbourne HistoryFebruary 11, 2019

Fred Jackson Reserve, Garden City. Photo by David Thompson. Fred Jackson Reserve is positioned at the head of Centre Avenue in Garden City, bounded by The Bend, Batman Road, Cumberland Road and the Ada Mary a'Beckett Childrens Centre. Frederick Caton Jackson was Town Clerk of Port Melbourne from 1973 to 1988. He was born on 19 February 1931 and died on…

School Sports & Physical Training Display – 7 December 1918

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryDecember 7, 2018

Just because the war had ended didn't mean that the work of the local patriotic organisations was finished. In all probability, preparations for the Combined Schools Sports and Demonstration advertised in the Port Melbourne Standard newspaper on 30 November 1918 would have been well advanced before the Armistice was signed but even so there was good reason to hold the event…

Returned Soldiers’ Reception and Smoke Concert

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryDecember 5, 2018

About 250 returned soldiers and sailors with about the same number of relatives attended the civic reception provided by the Mayor, Cr Richard Gill and councillors at Port Melbourne Town Hall on the afternoon of 5 Dec 1918. The reception and the ‘smoke concert’ to be held later that evening were the work of the Anzac Reception Committee that had been…

Margins Memories and Markers

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryNovember 30, 2018

Margins Memories and Markers (2003-2005) is a multi-location public art installation by the City of Port Phillip. The stories presented at six locations throughout the city were distilled by Julie Shiels from over 400 stories submitted to the project. In Port Melbourne there are five pieces along the foreshore called Port Stories. Four sand-blasted granite plaques laid under the benches near the…

Welcoming the Returned Soldiers

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryNovember 23, 2018

Some three thousand people gathered along the roads leading from the New Railway Pier (Princes Pier) on the morning of Saturday 23 November 1918 to welcome the first contingent of returned soldiers.1 Barriers along the route restricted the roadway to 12 feet to allow the cars carrying the soldiers to proceed to the city. At the foot of the pier, two strong…

The End of War – Thanksgiving Services

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryNovember 17, 2018

The brief article above appeared in the Standard newspaper on 16 November 1918 and unfortunately there does not appear to be any reports in subsequent editions of the Standard to record the order of service for any of the local churches. There is an article in that same edition of the Standard that gives a hint of what was planned…

The End of the War – Friendly Societies’ Dispensary

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryNovember 14, 2018

The Friendly Societies’ Dispensary committee of management met for their monthly meeting on Thursday evening [14 Nov 1918]. The president, Mr S Spielvogel, put forward the following motion "That this meeting of the representatives of Friendly Societies in Port Melbourne have much pleasure in recording its thankfulness to the Almighty for the glorious victory the British nation and Allies have achieved in…

The End of the War – Nott Street State School

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryNovember 13, 2018

At 11.30am on Wednesday (13 Nov 1918] one thousand students of Nott Street State School paraded in the school grounds where they saluted the flag, sang the National Anthem and patriotic airs. The students were addressed by the headmaster, Mr Richards, Cr J P Crichton, chairman of the school committee, and Mr J L Murphy MLA. Mr Richards gave an apology from…

The End of the War – Good Templars

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryNovember 12, 2018

Brother Austin, the Grand Chief Templar of Victoria, presided over the meeting of the Mutual Help Lodge held at the lodge room in Graham Street on the Tuesday evening [12 Nov 1918]. The meeting was opened with the singing of the National Anthem followed by the lodge’s version of “God Bless Our Splendid Men”. Brother C H Martin moved ‘That this meeting…

The End of the War – Swallow and Ariell

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryNovember 12, 2018

‘On Tuesday morning [12 Nov 1918], before 8 o’clock, the 700 girls and 650 men and lads employed at … Swallow and Ariell assembled at the factory – but not to work’. They cheered the King, the Empire, the Allies, and Australia again and again. They then formed a procession with the company’s motor wagons and led by a car they…

Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians