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

Centenary Bridge

Centenary Bridge c1949 It was not known as Centenary Bridge when it was built, but as the ‘Overhead Bridge at Station Pier’. It was constructed in 1934 to make the ‘disgraceful’ Port Melbourne waterfront more attractive in Victoria’s 100th year. For decades, complaints about our waterfront’s unsightliness had gone unsorted. The piers with their handsome gatehouses at least had been completed, but…

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Sandridge Court House

The Sandridge Court House on the corner of Graham and Bay Sts, was designed by Public Works Department architect John James Clark. It was built in 1862. He also designed the Sandridge Post Office (cnr Rouse and Bay Sts), now part of the campus of Albert Park Secondary College. It is on the Victorian Heritage Register. Together with the Police Station (now McClusky's lawyers)…

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Remembering the Westgate Bridge disaster

photograph Doug Smallpage On 15 October, people will gather at a memorial at the Westgate Bridge to honour 35 workers who were killed when a 120-metre span of the bridge collapsed on that day in 1970. Another 18 were injured, with many crippled for life. The day before Victoria’s worst industrial accident, a worker, hearing creaks in the structure, commented:…

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McCormack Street

Member Dr Robyn Clinch explored the history of  26 McCormack St and learned about its very close connection with the Cricketers Arms Hotel. McCormack St is a short, angled street that runs between Esplanade East and Bridge St. McCormack St is so narrow, making it difficult to get a good picture Thomas McCormack began accumulating property in the Sandridge area from his…

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Lost Shops of Graham Street

Shirley Videion recalls the shops in Graham Street before the construction of the Graham Street overpass: Graham Street was blessed with milk bars. The two most preferred by our group when walking on a Sunday were McCarthy's next to the double storey house on the corner of Graham Street and Evans Street or McKenzie's on the other side of the Graham Station…

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The Graham Street Rockeries

This is the briefest beginning of stories associated with the Graham St overpass. Before the West Gate Bridge was built, access to the other side of the river at Newport was via a ferry at the end of Williamstown Road.  The Graham Street overpass was built in the late 1970s in anticipation of the growing number of cars that would pass…

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A Silver Anniversary

Hoyt's Eclipse Theatre, Port Melbourne, C1940s. Harold Paynting Collection, SLV The Hoyt's Eclipse Theatre in Port Melbourne almost missed its silver anniversary according to an article in the Argus newspaper from 1949. The story goes, a woman living in the neighbourhood found a newspaper from November 1924 under her lino that described the opening of “new and modern movie house”.  She…

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HMVS Cerberus

Helicopter Landing Dock at Webb Dock The recent arrival at Webb Dock of the Helicopter Landing Dock Ship, to be known as the NUSHIP Adelaide once commissioned, prompts a post on the arrival in Hobsons Bay of HMVS Cerberus in April 1871. The Cerberus arrived in Hobsons Bay after 'a weary voyage of 6 months duration'. With all that iron cladding - 8…

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Finding

The difference between joy and frustration in local history research is being able to find things. This was a theme of Monday's meeting. Further integrating the Society's computer records, catalogue database and paper files will make it easier for researchers to find what they're looking for in the fascinating PMHPS collection. Steve Tserkezidis, guest speaker,  brings a particular tenacity to finding.…

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Cottage on the corner

PMHPS has observed a notice of application for a planning permit for this house on the corner of Nott and Farrell Sts, Port Melbourne. Morley's Cottage: cnr Nott and Farrell Streets This is where William Morley lived. Morley was the the first chairman of Sandridge when it became a municipality in 1860. He was Mayor in 1867 and remained a Councillor until…

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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.