Sandridge Lagoon – Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society

Piecing Together the Past

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryNovember 18, 2022

by David F Radcliffe When researching the story of the entrepreneurial Otto Schumacher, one question proved very difficult to answer. When did the small factory he built on Esplanade East in 1890 turn into the impressive building that defined the corner of Graham Street and Esplanade East from the 1920s? With its distinctive red brick and white stucco façades and flanked…

The Lagoon – Greg Ades

Port Melbourne History, PresentationsOctober 25, 2022

Greg Ades was the guest speaker on the topic of The Lagoon at the PMHPS October 2022 meeting. Greg has been a practicing artist for over 40 years. For a number of years he was artist in residence at Port Melbourne Primary School. At one stage, with Artists in Schools funding, he created a large painting with the students…

‘Lagoon Reserve’: Residential or Recreational?

Port Melbourne HistorySeptember 30, 2021

by David Radcliffe In the 1890s, the name ‘lagoon reserve’ applied to any part of the strip of reclaimed land, bounded by Esplanade East and Esplanade West, extending from Bridge St to Rouse St. Formed by filling in the Sandridge Lagoon, it was also known as the ‘lagoon lands’. The recreational park we know today as Lagoon Reserve, between Liardet…

Smells

Port Melbourne HistorySeptember 10, 2021

Swallow & Ariell viewed from Princes St 1987 PMHPS Collection The National Trust has argued that the smell of Vegemite, produced at Fishermans Bend, warrants recognition as part of the heritage of the place. This has prompted a post on how many Port stories are associated with smells. The fetid Sandridge Lagoon gave rise to virtually a whole vocabulary of smells…

Now and Then 2021 – HMAS Apartments and Lagoon Pier

Port Melbourne HistoryAugust 2, 2021

Completed in 2001, the HMAS Apartments were designed by the renowned architectural firm of Fender Katsalidis, who also designed Eureka Tower, Australia 108 and many other striking buildings. The towers of this apartment complex are visible from many parts of Port Melbourne. The name reflects the history of the site which was the location of the naval base HMAS Lonsdale…

Now and Then 2021 – Lagoon Reserve

Port Melbourne HistoryAugust 2, 2021

Lagoon Reserve is a popular place for dogs and their owners to meet up especially in the late afternoon. The reserve is lined on its eastern side by the Park Apartments and across Graham Street by the Portside Apartments. Both art deco inspired designs were developed by Becton Pty Ltd during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Lagoon Reserve (2021).…

Bridge Street

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryMay 7, 2021

by David Radcliffe Bridge Street is one of three streets that both traverse Port Melbourne from east to west, cross the light rail tracks and extend into Fishermans Bend, the others being Ingles Street and Graham Street. Originally it only ran from the western edge of Sandridge Lagoon to the Melbourne to Hobsons Bay Railway track. As there was no…

Henry Whatty’s Port Melbourne

People, Port Melbourne HistoryMay 22, 2020

by David Radcliffe Henry Martin Whatty grew up in Port Melbourne during the 1870s and 1880s. He loved boats and boating and the photographs he took reflect his nautical interests. Boat Harbour, Port Melbourne Lagoon Mouth. Photo: Henry Whatty HMS Mildura. Photo: Henry Whatty His father, Charles Whatty, was born in 1850 in Snettisham, Norfolk but his family moved to Mevagissey,…

Spring Street – North, South, East and West

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryFebruary 7, 2020

David Radcliffe For Victorians, Spring St is synonymous with the seat of government. Similarly, Spring St in Port Melbourne runs past our historical seat of local government, the Town Hall. What makes our Spring St unique is that it has four parts each named after one of the cardinal directions. However over the years the names of these four parts have…

A Builder’s Signature?

Port Melbourne HistoryAugust 22, 2019

Decorative Eaves on Workers’ Cottages A constant delight of Port Melbourne is the avenues of workers cottages built during the real estate boom of the late Victorian era. Yet there is much more to these small wooden homes with their pretty iron lacework than first meets the eye. If you look up at the eaves between the main roof structure…

Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians