Streets – Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society

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.…

Barlow Street

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryApril 6, 2023

by David F Radcliffe Barlow Street is one of those “internal” roadways that provide access to houses located off the main streets in Port Melbourne. Its entrance is on the eastern side of Nott Street between Liardet and Graham Streets. Access to Barlow Street off Nott Street. Photograph by David Radcliffe. Like Florence Place, Barlow Street is a consequence of the way…

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…

Stokes (and Wickham) Street

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryOctober 7, 2022

by David F Radcliffe When the first allotments of Crown Land in Sandridge (now Port Melbourne) were sold in 1850, the settlement comprised just six streets – Graham, Rouse, Stokes, Nott, Bay and Dow. While Bay Street is obvious, the origins of the names for the other five streets remains something of a mystery. Margaret Bride has written about the…

Tucker Avenue

People, Places, Port Melbourne HistoryJuly 8, 2022

Albert Tucker served two terms as Mayor of Port Melbourne - in 1916-17 and 1927-28. His time on council was not continuous. He stood for election on three separate occasions. Nevertheless it was said that "One can hardly conceive the Port Melbourne Council without Albert Tucker". Tucker was a stalwart Labour man. He was clearly well respected by his peers and…

Prohasky Street

People, Places, Port Melbourne HistoryMarch 31, 2022

William Henry Prohasky served on the Port Melbourne Council from August 1885 to September 1893. He was Mayor from 1888 to 1889. His fellow councillors include Frederick Poolman, James Ker Beck Plummer, Henry Norval Edwards, Philip Melville Salmon, John Turnbull, and William Richardson Tarver. He lived at that time at 73 Evans St on the corner of Farrell…

Bismarck Street

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryFebruary 4, 2022

by David Radcliffe Around Port Melbourne there are streets, like Bain Street, that once existed but have since disappeared. There are many more streets whose name has been changed. In April 1878, a cluster of intersecting streets in the south-western corner of the rapidly expanding Sandridge were gazetted as shown below.1 One of these was Bismarck Street. Note the self-referential nature of…

Barkly Avenue

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryDecember 3, 2021

Surely such a grandly named boulevard would be one of the more prominent streets in Port Melbourne. Nothing could be further from the truth. Barkly Avenue is a short laneway off Garton Street, tucked in behind Crockford Street. It is named in honour of Sir Henry Barkly who was Governor of Victoria when the Borough of Sandridge gained separation from…

Smith Street and Smith Reserve

People, Places, Port Melbourne HistoryNovember 5, 2021

Two streets, one in Port and one in South Melbourne, as well as a section of Port Melbourne's Railway Reserves, bear the name Smith. And that doesn't take into account the curious occurrence of, what is now, Frangipani Court also being referred to as Smith Street in the Sand's & McDougall Directories from 1915 to 1974. But why are…

The Mystery of Dubbeldan’s Lane

Places, Port Melbourne HistoryAugust 4, 2021

Research by David Radcliffe and David Thompson In July 2021, Allan Marshall posted a photograph of Doubledan's Lane, Port Melbourne from Building and Real Estate magazine, February 1916 (above) on the Born and Bred in Port Melbourne Facebook page stating that he had checked period maps but couldn’t find any mention of the location. Allan posts old photographs of Port on…

Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians