Fishermans Bend – Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society

Cumberland Road

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryMay 2, 2025

by David F Radcliffe Cumberland Road is one of a pair of curved streets that form the ‘entrance’ to the Fishermans Bend Estate. The other is Batman Road. Both run off “The Boulevard”, the bayside boundary of this estate conceived in the late 1930s to provide decent housing for working people. Both streets allude to the early European history of…

Streets and Reserves of the Fishermans Bend Estate

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryApril 4, 2025

by David F Radcliffe During the preliminary phases of the Fishermans Bend Estate development, the Housing Commission of Victoria intended to name the streets numerically, i.e, First Street, Second Street, First Avenue, Second Avenue and so forth. Later their thinking changed…. Fishermans Bend was a pioneering project for the Commission which was established in March 1938 in response to the…

Growing up in Port Melbourne – Port Melbourne 1920 – 1940

Growing up in PortMay 29, 2024

In 1920, as Australians emerged from the events of the First World War and the Spanish Flu epidemic, many people were ready to settle down to life as it had been before either of these traumas, yet here in Port Melbourne the people and their suburb were actually entering a period of transformation. Until 1920 most industry and housing was…

Growing up in Port Melbourne – Housing

Growing up in PortMay 29, 2024

In 1920 there was an eclectic mix of houses in Port Melbourne from grand, two story houses built in the 1870-1900 period to the shacks on Fisherman’s Bend behind New Pier. Some of the worst of the 19th century slums had been cleared as a result of Dr George Cuscaden’s work but many still remained as the photographs on the panel…

Buckingham Reserve

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryMay 3, 2024

by David Thompson Buckingham Reserve [highlighted]. City of Port Melbourne map (detail), Amended June 1983. PMHPS Collection. Cat No 704.02. Buckingham Reserve is near the western edge of Garden City. It is named for former Councillor and Mayor Theodore Thomas Buckingham. Tom Buckingham was elected to Port Melbourne Council on 21 January 1961 and served until 1986. He was Mayor on…

Leith Crescent

People, Places, Port Melbourne HistoryFebruary 2, 2024

by David Thompson Leith Crescent looking towards Howe Parade (2024). Photograph by David Thompson Leith Crescent is a short curving street running between Howe Parade and Williamstown Road. It is closed at Williamstown Road creating a cul-de-sac for the small number of ‘bank houses’ that face onto the street. And ‘bank houses’ are the key behind the naming of Leith Crescent.…

The Curious Case of King and Stone Streets with Bartlett Street Thrown in for Good Measure

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryJuly 7, 2023

by David Thompson Melbourne Harbor Trust General Plan, 1893 (detail). State Library of Victoria A General Plan prepared by the Melbourne Harbor Trust dated 1893[1] shows a regular grid of six streets to the west of Williamstown Road. Tarver Street, Plummer Street and a third unnamed street running parallel to Williamstown Road with King Street, Stone Street and another unnamed street running directly off Williamstown…

Meeting 27 June 2023 at 7.30pm

MeetingsMay 28, 2023

Dr Norm Darwin, President of the President of Automotive Historians Australia will be guest speaker at our June meeting commencing at 7.30pm on 27 June. Dr Darwin will talk on the "Automotive History of Fishermans Bend". Standard Motors, Bertie St, 1952. RMIT University Design Archives Biography In 1969 Norm began working at GM-Holden Engineering, progressing to become the company’s Sourcing Co-ordinator…

Lind Avenue

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryNovember 4, 2022

by David Thompson Lind Avenue (highlighted), Morgan's Official Street Directory, 34th Edition, Map 36 (detail) Lind Avenue runs from Dunstan Parade to Sandridge Avenue along the western edge of Buckingham Reserve. It was probably named after Albert Eli Lind, later Sir Albert Eli Lind, who was a Minister and Deputy Premier in the Dunstan State Government as well as serving…

Pye Street

People, Places, Port Melbourne HistoryJune 3, 2022

Pye Street (highlighted). Robinson's Street Directory of Melbourne and Suburbs, Ed 3, c. 1950s. Pye Street is a short street running from Williamstown Road to Dunstan Parade in Garden City. It is named for former Victorian State politician, Henry Pye. Henry Pye was born on Christmas Day, 1873 to a farming family at Burnewang near Rochester, Victoria. At a young age…

Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians