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

William Cann’s Kitchen

William Cann (centre) with his soldier son Harry sitting to his right c 1915-19. Courtesy Geoff Lister. Feeding the hungry children of Nott Street School in the 1930’s was a far cry from William Cann’s former life as a British soldier who had served in both the Zulu and Boer Wars. However, he did know what it was like to be…

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Allan Whittaker Commemoration 2016

Legacy of 1928 On a (rare) sunny evening, former Supreme Court judge Frank Vincent offered these reflections on the legacy of 1928 at the Allan Whittaker commemoration held on Princes Pier on Friday 28 October. He spoke without notes. "The question I was going to pose is 'What is the thread that joins Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Pauline Hanson and Boris Johnson?' And…

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My Mum, Joan Dawson

Joan Dawson with her Graham Street School Grade Prep class, 1939. Young Teacher Graham Street Port Melbourne 1939 My mum was just 18 when she began to teach this class at the Graham Street School. She lived nearby at 174 Buckhurst Street. Her father was a carter and they lived in a double fronted timber home with stables at the back where…

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Aanensen Family Portrait

Aanensen Family Portrait taken in early 1904. Rear (L-R) Alfred Adolf (b 1890), Stanley George (b 1888), Marie Louisa (b 1893) Middle (L-R) Albert Edward (b 1901) (being held), Bernt Andreas (b 1865) (father), Andreas Thomas (b 1903) (being held), Edith Ann (b 1867) (mother); Front (L-R) Aanen Harold (b 1897), Victor Bernt (b 1895), William Ernst (b 1899). The photo predates the birth of…

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George Samuel Walter Memorial Garden after refurbishment, 29 March 2016.

George Samuel Walter Memorial Garden, 2016

At our July meeting we presented the entries to the My Port Melbourne photograph competition, announced the winners and made our selection for the People's Choice Award. Christine Griffith's entry, "George Samuel Walter Memorial Garden, 2016", was judged the overall winner.  In the coming months we'll be presenting several entries on this website but it's only fitting that we start with the…

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Well Represented at the Front

'Well Represented at Front.', Port Melbourne Standard 15 May 1915 Our First World War Centenary project has uncovered many incredible stories of Port men volunteering for active service such as this one from The Standard newspaper on 15 May 1915. The first part of the article talks about four cousins, all born in Port Melbourne, who were serving at the Front. William…

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Mr Todd

One of my favourite words is accrete – the way things gather together to create something bigger – the way the beach grows as sand drifts in a particular direction. And that's what I love about local history. You start with a fragment, and then other fragments emerge and seem magnetically drawn to it. A picture emerges. So it was with one…

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The Man in the Photo

Members of the Port Phillip Stevedores Association, 1905 Recently I spoke at a seminar at the Victorian Genealogical Society on the topic “Port Melbourne 1839-1880". As I wanted to mention the formation of trade unions in Port Melbourne I showed this photo of ‘Members of the Port Phillip Stevedores Association’ from 1905. You will notice that all of the men in the…

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Miss Jago’s Corner Shop

Annetta (Joy) Phillips writes about the former shop on the corner of Heath and Ingles Streets: Irene ('Rene') was the elder of two Jago sisters. In 1937 she opened a grocery and bakery shop at 101 Ingles Street. Irene Jago outside the shop, corner Ingles and Heath Sts Rene was in charge of the shop and her sister Bette worked with her. They lived behind…

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Family Memories of Jennie Baines

 Lyn McLeavy shares her aunts' recollections of Jennie Baines, and of her grandmother Mary McLeavy  Mary McLeavy, children & friends at Waterside Workers Federation picnic 1932 - Lyn McLeavy Millie Jennie Baines was only that high (5’1”) The biggest thing about Jennie was her mouth. Didn’t she give us a bit of curry. Alice In the depression she went around with women from the Labor Party getting…

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PMHPS acknowledges the generous support of the City of Port Phillip.

 

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Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and work, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.