Collection – Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society

Matchbooks, Boxes and Covers

Collection, Port Melbourne HistoryJanuary 24, 2025

by David Thompson Item 2903 in the PMHPS Collection is a matchbox cover from around 1938 advertising the Freemason's Tavern. Freemason's Tavern matchbox cover, c 1938. PMHPS Collection Cat No 2903. Promotional matchbooks, matchboxes and matchbox covers* have gone out of fashion with less people smoking and the ban on smoking in public places in recent years plus the convenience of…

Graham Street School Centenary – 1989

Collection, Port Melbourne HistoryJuly 19, 2024

In 1989 Graham Street Primary School marked its centenary. This badge from the PMHPS collection celebrates the event. We don't know who drew the picture but Pam Snowden who worked in the office for 40 years remembers that the school's badge making machine was in high demand by staff and students. Graham Street School Centenary Badge. PMHPS Collection Cat No…

South and Port Melbourne Thistle Cricket Club

Collection, Port Melbourne HistoryApril 19, 2024

by David Thompson In April 1924, the South and Port Thistle Cricket Club won the premiership in the Victorian Scottish Association for the third year in succession, the first time such a feat had been achieved in that association.[1] The cricket club was part of the well-established South and Port Melbourne Thistle Society, a social organisation formed on 31 August…

The Petersons of Ross Street: A Nautical Family

Collection, People, Port Melbourne HistoryFebruary 8, 2024

by David F Radcliffe Frederick Peterson and Priscilla Hume were married at St James Cathedral in Melbourne in June 1869.[1] For 53 years, the couple were active members of the Port Melbourne community raising eight children here, five girls and three boys. Both Frederick and Priscilla came from families with strong connections to ships and the sea and this nautical tradition…

Vintage Port Film Society

Collection, Port Melbourne HistoryNovember 24, 2023

The Vintage Port Film Society was formed in 1990 and ran for sixteen years until 2006. Pat Grainger was a member and donated to PMHPS a dossier of film schedules, programme/program notes and some newsletters from 1995 to 2006 (Cat No 4482). The Film Society was set up by Frank and Serena Steuart and monthly screenings took place at their…

Dogs in Port

Collection, Port Melbourne HistoryAugust 17, 2023

A Random post about dogs from 2013 mentions that the Society holds a Register of Dogs in Port Melbourne from 1892 (Cat No 1730). In fact PMHPS holds six items relating to the registration of dogs covering the period 1882 to 1915 so let's take a closer look at the book that covers the years 1892 to 1901. Dog Register…

Guardian Family Health Soap

Collection, Port Melbourne HistoryJune 9, 2023

Guardian Family Health Soap. PMHPS Collection Cat No 3423.03. Among the PMHPS collection is an aged, chipped bar of unused Guardian Family Health Soap. And what's more, the Society also has the original box. Box, Guardian Family Health Soap (front). PMHPS Collection 3423.02. Guardian Family Health Soap was produced by J Kitchen & Sons Pty Ltd and the description on the rear…

Tru-Go in the Collection

Collection, Port Melbourne HistoryJanuary 20, 2023

A search of the Society's collection for Trugo (sport - trugo) today, 20 January, 2023, produces a list of eleven items. This story looks at three of those items to see what they say about the sport, in general, and Trugo in Port Melbourne in particular. This is not intended to be an in-depth story about Trugo other than…

A Plan for a Fence

Collection, Port Melbourne HistorySeptember 23, 2022

by David Thompson The PMHPS Collection includes a number of plans and some of the older ones - the ones from the Sandridge days - are works of art. Take, for example, Cat No. 88 - Elevation of Proposed Fence to Station Place Reserve. Elevation of Proposed Fence to Station Place Reserve. PMHPS Collection, Cat No. 88. The first thing you…

Rev Frederick Charles Platts

Collection, People, Port Melbourne HistoryJuly 22, 2022

by Lex Johnson Brass plaque for Rev F Platts on the pulpit from Holy Trinity Church, Port Melbourne (now located at Port Melbourne Town Hall). In 1861 the Reverend F C Platts was appointed to Holy Trinity Church in Sandridge. The congregation was to have some interesting years! Frederick Charles Platts was born in India in 1823 where his father was…

Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians