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Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne
Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

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…

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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…

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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…

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Swallow & Ariell Matchbox

Collection, Port Melbourne HistoryApril 8, 2022
One of the loveliest items in the PMHPS Collection is Cat No 581, a small metal matchbox promoting Swallow and Ariell Ltd. Swallow & Ariell Ltd promotional matchbox. PMHPS Collection (Cat No 581). It is only 6cm by 4.3cm with a full coloured paper insert fitted into the lid with a swallow swooping over the words With Compliments From Swallow &…

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Christmas Cards

Collection, Port Melbourne HistoryDecember 10, 2021
As the ubiquitous adoption of electronic mail and text messages on smart devices has become the norm for our daily communications the practice of exchanging Christmas cards has declined enormously. It doesn't seem that long ago that mantlepieces, sideboards, desks and even office windows were crowded with festive cards. People sent cards to their friends and family, businesses to their important…

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Mount Mulligan Appeal

Collection, Port Melbourne HistorySeptember 24, 2021
The Cairns Post newspaper of Tuesday 20 September 1921 carried the first reports of a terrible disaster in the remote mining township of Mount Mulligan, 1,797 km north west of Brisbane. Reports at that early stage were vague and at times contradictory but it was clear that around 9am the previous day an explosion had occurred at the Mount Mulligan…

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WWII Hospital Ship – MS Oranje

Collection, Port Melbourne HistoryJuly 9, 2021
Hospital ship, MS Oranje, at Port Melbourne, 1940s. Photograph by Roy Liebig. PMHPS Collection. This story was sparked by a couple of images in the PMHPS Collection taken by Roy Liebig in the 1940s. Both images appear later in this story so more on those later. MS Oranje, 1940s. Photo by Roy Liebig. PMHPS Collection. The MS Oranje started life in the…

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