NEWSLETTER VOLUME TWENTY • NUMBERONE • ACN A00 390 26Z

March 2019

EAST MELBOURNE

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER EAST MELBOURNE HISTORICAL

SOCIETY

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Committee

Affiliated with The Royal Historical Society of Victoria

Aims

A full Statement of Purposes appears in our Documents of

Incorporation but briefly the aims of the Society are as follows:• Tofosteraninterestinthehistory

of East Melbourne.• Tobuildanarchiveofmaterial

relevanttothehistoryofEastMelbourne.

• Topromoteinterchangeofinforma-tionthroughlecturesandtours.

• Topromoteheritagepreservation.

Weinvitecontributionsrelatingto the history of East Melbourne

from our members. Articles of up to 1500wordswillbeconsideredforpublication.Smallarticlesanditemsofinterest are also welcome.

Wewouldbepleasedtoreceiveyoursuggestionsandideasforactivities,guestspeakers,excursionsoranythingelseyoumightlikeustoorganizeonyourbehalf.

Please contact any member of our committee.

Contributions andSuggestions

Published by EMHS and supported by City of Melbourne Community Services Grants Program.

CONTACT DETAILS1st Floor, East Melbourne Library,

122 George Street, East MelbournePO Box 355, East Melbourne 8002

Telephone: 9416 0445.Email: info@emhs.org.auWeb: www.emhs.org.au

President:JillFenwick 94190437

Hon. Secretary:SylviaBlack 94172037

Hon. Treasurer:MalcolmHowell 0417337519

Committee:

DianeClifford 94860793SueHamilton 0412880509TimHolland 94158468SueLarkin 94159771BarbaraPaterson 0409192417GrahamShepherd 94869039

MembershipMembership of the East Melbourne Historical Society is open to all who are interested in the history of East Melbourne.

Enquiries: Diane Clifford dianeclifford1@gmail.com

Annual subscription: $25.00

Guests are welcome at individual meetings $5.00

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President’s Letter

AsIwrite,Melbourneissomnolent,madelethargicbytheseemingly

endlessdaysofsummer.Holidaymakersarereturningreluctantlytothecity.It’sthelastdaybeforethechildrengobacktoschool.ThepressureofChristmascelebrationsisover.ThecricketandthetennisarefinishedforthissummerandthecheerfulcrowdswalkingtotheMCGandTennisCentrehavedispersed.Thegardenslooktired,withburntleavesanddrysoil,inneedofagooddoseofrain.

Andsoit’stimetobeginagain,tofocus on the rich history of our suburb andthechallengesitfaces.WhiletheMelbourneFootballClub’splantoalienatealargesectionofYarraParkforapracticeovalandbuildasixstoreyclubhouseovertheJolimontraillinehasbeenrejectedbyPlanningMinisterRichardWynne,weneedtobealerttoanyre-emergenceofit.Valetta,aconstantconcern,isnowbeingusedbytheFreemasons’Hospitalforadministrativepurposes,thoughsadlythishasnotinvolvedre-paintingtheexterior.204-208AlbertStreet,originallybuiltasthreeterracehousesin1859-60,andlateralteredintoasinglebuildingistobepartiallydemolishedandaninestoreybuildingconstructedonthesite.Wehaveputinanobjectiononthegroundsofexcessiveheightandbulk,affectingneighbouringclassifiedbuildingsandstreetscapes.

Onthepositiveside,webeganouryearon20FebruarywithawalkintheFitzroyGardensconductedbyDrMoniqueWebber,exploringthestoryofthestatuesthatoncegraceditspathsandtheirremoval.Wefollowthiswith

a special lecture at the East Melbourne library,8pmon13March,withtheeruditeDr.BarryJones–atreatforallthosewhohaveadmiredhisknowledgeandperspicacityovertheyears.

Jill Fenwick February 2019

Monique Depierre

CameronOxley

Marie Fels

ChristineMeek

ZipporahSzalay

GregoryBisinella

Daniel Gluer

LaxmiWeldon

We Welcome NewMembers

JoeFerwerda

BruceArmour

StephenMeek

Kirsten Mitchell

DominicClarke

LizJonson

Robert Paterson

Itiswithsadnessthatwerecordthedeathonthe29thofJanuaryof

BishopIanGeorge.Ianwas,inrecentyears,actingVicarofHolyTrinityandaregularparticipantatBishopscourtfunctionsandactivities.UponhisarrivalinEastMelbournehequicklycametoknowmanyinourcommunitybyname,bothwithinthechurchandwithout.Hissmilingfaceandthoughtfulmannerwillbemissed.

Vale Bishop Ian Georgee

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Houses with History – 85 Powlett Street

Theterracehouseat85PowlettStreetisoneoftwomatching

housesbuiltbyGeorgeBlack,whoalsobuilt121and125HothamStand173GippsSt.Itwaserectedsometimebetween1857and1859,aneleganttwostoreybuildingwithironlaceworkoveritsfrontveranda.Itstandsonthecornerofalane,appropriatelynamedLalorPlace,theonetimehomeofEurekaStockadehero,PeterLalor(1827-1889).

PeterLalorwasborninTinakill,Queen’sCounty,Irelandon5February1827,oneoftwelvechildrenofPatandAnnLalor.HisfatherwasalandownerandastrongsupporterofHomeRule.LalorwaseducatedatCarlowCollege,andthenstudiedcivilengineeringatTrinityCollege,Dublin.In1852PeterandhisolderbrotherRichard,decidedtoseektheirfortunesinAustralia,landinginVictoria in October that year. He first workedontheconstructionoftheMelbourne-Geelongrailway,resigningtotakepartinthegoldrush,firstinOvens,thenontheEurekaLeadatBallarat.

In1853,aminers’rebellionbrokeoutinBendigoagainstthehighpriceofgoldlicences,the‘diggerhunts’bypolice,andledtodemandsforuniversalmanhoodsuffrage,politicalrepresentationandtheabolitionofproperty qualification to become an

M.P,Themurderofaminer,JamesScobie,atBentley’sHotel,sparkedtherebellionatEureka,withminerselectingPeterLalortoleadanarmeduprisingatBakeryHill,Ballarat.

Duringthefight,Lalorwaswoundedintheleftarm,andsubsequentlyhadtofacetwooperations,thesecondamputatingthearmattheshoulder.Declaredanoutlawbythegovernment,hewasquicklyre-instatedasahero,withmanyoftheminers’demandsmet.InNovember1855,hewaselectedtotheLegislativeAssemblyasmemberforBallaratWest,laterNorthGrenville.Afterelevenyearsasmember,helosthisseatbytwentyvotesin1871,butin1874,wasre-electedto the electorate of South Grant. However,hewasseenasrepresentinglandowners,ratherthanminersandworkers.HebecameSpeakeroftheLegislativeAssemblyfrom1880-1887.

HemarriedAliciaDunnatGeelongin1855.Theyhadtwochildren,Anne,bornatPrahranin1856andJoseph,bornatSandridgein1857.Thefamilymovedto85PowlettStreetin1876andwhenthechildrenwerenearlyadult,withJosephbecomingadoctor.

PeterLalorretiredfromParliamentin1877.Hiswife,Alicia,haddiedon17May1887andhisdaughterthe

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sameyear.BythentheywerelivingatMorrisonPlace,onEasternHill.Lalordiedin1889atLalorHouse,293ChurchStreet,Richmond,themedicalroomsandhomebuiltforhissonJoseph.Hewas62.

PeterLalor’sfuneralwasagrandone,conductedbyArchbishopCarr.TheGeelongAdvertiserwroteof‘afourhorsehearse.Fourmourningcoachesandsomeseventyoreightyprivatecarriagesandvehicles…’butadded‘…anoticeablefeaturewastheabsenceoftherepresentativesofminingdistricts.’

Jill Fenwick

PeterLalor1856.StateLibraryofVictoria]

122 Jolimont Road c.1900 (dem)

Built1868forHowardWilloughby,editorofTheArgus.Photoshows

JohnDonaldson,donor’sgreatgrand-father,atthefrontgate.DonaldsonwasacommercialtravellerforStewartandLloyds,manufacturersofblack,galvanisedandsteamtubes.Heoccupiedthehouse1897-1901.

Donor:CarolineRadisisch

A Recent Acquisition

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Half Way House

The following item appeared in the Kalgoorlie Western Argus, 12 Mar 1901:

A NICE PROSPECT.

DuringthepartialdemolitionofanantiquatedEastMelbournehotel

alaborerengagedinremovingbricksdroppedacrossanestofsovereigns,25inall,secretedinawall.Whenthefindbecameknownthemenengagedonthebuildingsimmediatelysettoworktomakeavigoroussearchofthepremisesinthehopeofcomingacrosssometreasuretrove,butnothingmorethanafewstraycoinsrewardedtheirvigilance.Owingtothegreatantiquityofthesovereignstheyarereportedtobeworthtwoguineasapiece.Thereislikelytobesome trouble as to the ownership of thefind,asboththelandlordofthehotelandthecontractorlayclaimtothespoil,whilsttheworkman,whomadethediscoveryalsoconsidershimselfentitledtosomerecompense.In the early history of Melbourne thehotelwassituateinaheavilytimberedstretchofcountry-nowthefashionable suburb of East Melbourne -andpassedunderthenameoftheHalf-Way House.

ThefateofthesovereignsremainsunknownbutwhathappenedtotheHalf-WayHouse?AftersomediligentdiggingTrovedigitizednewspapers

cameupwiththeanswerhttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/TheHalf-WayHousewasonthecornerofAlbertandGisborneStreetsandwasanearlierincarnation of the Volunteer Arms HotelwhichstoodonthesamesiteuntilreplacedbytheMetropolitanFireBrigade.ItwasconsideredhalfwaybetweenMelbourneandCollingwood.InanevenearliertimeithadbeenownedbyHectorLiardetandwasthenknownasLiardet’sHotel.HectorwasthethirdsonofWilbrahamFrederickEvelynLiardet,hotelkeeperandwater-colourist.ButduringitsHalf-WayHousedays(c.1860-1864)itwasrunbyWilliamTilke.

He was of an entrepreneurial frame ofmindandwithintwoyearshehadestablishedtheVauxhallGardensonthesparelandnextdoor.Itofferednumerous,irresistibleattractions:‘TheMonster Fountain ! the Crystal fountain !theIlluminatedfountain!theGrotto!theStatuary!NeptuneRisingfromtheSea!theMaizyWalks!andlast,notleast,thecommodiousPavilion,andbestQuadrilleBandinthecolony’,all‘brilliantlyilluminated’.Eachnightthegatesopenedathalfpasteight,withdancingstartingatnineo’clock.Onenightstargazerswereconvincedtheyhadseenacometorameteorbut,no,WilliamTilkehadorganizedtosendupa‘fire-balloon’fortheamusementofhispatrons.

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ButthingsdidnotgowellfinanciallyanditisunlikelythesovereignseverbelongedtoWilliamTilke.On7April1864TheAgeadvertisedthesaleof‘HouseholdFurniture,BarFittings,Beer-Engines,LicenseandMiscellaneousGoodsoftheHalfwayHouseHotel,oppositeSt.Peter’sChurch,EasternHill.’TheforcedsalewasbroughtonbyMercutt,Terry&Co.,wholesalewineandspiritmerchants,cordialmanufacturersandmanufacturersofTonicBitters.

Sylvia Black

ViewfromHalfWayHousebyFrederickSchoenfeld,1864.StateLibraryofVictoria

ThankstotheteamfromtheMen’sShedtheherbgardenbehindtheli-

braryisnowsupplyinglocalcookswithavarietyofproduce.Availabletoall,butonlyaccessibleduringlibraryhours.

Herb Garden Flourishes

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Coming Events

ClarendonTerrace,oncehometotheMenziesFoundationand

venueforourlectures,hasrecentlybeenreinventedasHerPlaceWomen’sMuseum.HerPlaceWomen’sMuseumAustraliaisanot-for-profitorganisationthatcelebratesthesocial,civicandentrepreneurialachievementsofallAustralianwomenandtheirroleinshapingournation.Thelivesandexperiencesofwomenhavetraditionallybeenunder-representedinhistoricalnarratives,museumcollectionsandthepublicsphere.

AspartoftheAustralianHeritageFestival,DrLizRushenwillgivetheinaugurallectureattheMuseumon‘ClarendonTerraceandHERfirstneighbours’inwhichshewilltalkonsomeofEastMelbourne’spioneeringwomen.Thisfitsveryneatlywithourownon-goingprojectonourlocalnotablewomen.Liziswellknowntomostofusasco-founderofEMHS,sheis a professional historian with a special interestinwomen’shistoryandhaswrittenmanybooksonthesubject.

EMHSmembersareinvitedtoattendandwillnotonlyhavethechancetohearLizspeakbutalsotoseethenewincarnationofoneofouroldestandfinestbuildings.

Thursday9Mayat6.00pmatClarendonTerrace,210ClarendonStreet,EastMelbourne.Admittanceisbygoldcoindonation.Bookingsonlineathttps://www.trybooking.com/460931

Clarendon TerraceLives Again

Wednesday,13Marchat8.00p.m.

BarryJonesand‘Sleepers,Wake!Revisited’

Sleepers,Wake!TechnologyandtheFutureofWork,thethought-provokingandmuchacclaimedbookbyBarryJones,wasfirstpublishedin1982andrevisedin1995.Nowtheauthorhasreviewedhisideasontheeffectoftechnologicalinnovationonmodernsociety.

Thisisaspecialevent,outsideourusualschedule.Itissuretobeastimulatingevening.

Wednesday,17Aprilat8.00p.m.SpencerStreetBridge,atalkbyFionaCampbell

Fionawillbeknowntomostofusas the peerless local history librarian stationedatourEastMelbourneLibrary.ShehasmadeadetailedstudyoftheSpencerStreetBridgeanddiscoveredafascinatingstory.Herinfectious enthusiasm for her subject is suretomakethisarivetingnight.

BothtalksatEastMelbourneLibrary,122GeorgeStreet,EastMelbourne

CoverImageFitzroyGardens,Feb2019.

Photo:JillFenwick