From the Collection
A photograph from the J Kitchen and Sons collection
In summer of 1854-5, John Kitchen, former grocer and candle-maker from Reading, England, arrived in Melbourne, Victoria, with three young sons and little money, to begin a new life. They were soon able to buy some cheap candle frames, and they commenced making tallow candles in a…
From the Collection
Holy Trinity Guild Cookery Book
In January 1909 a fierce storm blew down the 59 year old Holy Trinity iron church. The church Ladies Working Guild went into action to help with the fund raising for a new church. They published a cookery book with well-tested recipes collected by Mrs H. H. Hayman, which they sold…
From the Collection
Port Melbourne Centenary Souvenir and commemorative enamelled badges and pins
PMHPS catalogue no 856
Liardet's ARRIVAL
On November 15, 1839, the good ship 'William Metcalfe' anchored in Hobson’s Bay. She carried Mr. and Mrs. Wilbraham Frederick Evelyn Liardet and their family of nine after an eventful voyage of five months…
The mother and father were a little over 40 at…
From the collection
Scrapbook of Captain Harry Gray: Master of the Paddle Steamers PS Hygeia and PS Weeroona
Captain Gray kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings of various shipping events and stories on Port Phillip Bay from 1888 to 1976 which was donated to the PMHPS by Joyce Gray of Swallow St in 2004. The clippings include newspaper articles which…
Port Melbourne Football Club's Timekeepers' Bell
From 1878, this 30cm. 14 Kg red bell was rung by the match timekeepers to signal the end of each quarter of a football game at Port Melbourne Oval. For the fiercely loyal and parochial Borough supporters, the final ringing at each game was of either joy or sorrow; dependent of course, as to whether…
In 1998 the Society received a donation of a framed mounted photograph and medals of a World War 1 soldier donated by his daughter and granddaughter. They wanted it preserved because there was no one left in the family to whom it could be left.
PMH&PS Collection: Private George Williams
The photograph and medals belonged to George Williams who served in the…
Documenting change
PMH&PS is fortunate to have in its collection an impressive number of photographs taken by Ron Laing (1920 to 2003)
Ron Laing spent the years between his retirement in 1984 and the end of his life documenting the massive change that was taking place in Port Melbourne through that time. ‘I’d heard that things were going to change round…
From the PMHPS collection
A place of “Welcome and Farewell” - Early settlers, cargo ships, soldiers going overseas to fight in the wars, new migrants and travellers embarking on an overseas holiday would throw coloured streamers to family, friends and departing soldiers on the pier.
streamers sold at the Eastern kiosk, Station Pier
Station Pier was originally Railway Pier, built in 1854…
The original Church of England in the Borough of Sandridge was established in a tent on the corner of Bay and Graham Streets in 1854. It was reported in the Church of England Messenger of 1854 that '...a commodious tent, we'll fitted up, has been opened for Divine Service on Sundays and for a school during the week.'
To replace the…
Bay Street Shops 1875: Charles Nettleton: PMHPS Collection
Some of the early items added to the PMHPS collection were three very large pawnbroker’s pledge books. They were found in a chimney in Bay Street, from the Johnny Allsorts Pawnbrokers. They contain thousands of poignant transactions involving most Port families during Australia’s severe Depression 1891 to 1898.
The shop pictured here in 1875 at 239…