Heidelberg Historical Society in Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia | Non-profit organisation

Heidelberg Historical Society

Locality: Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia

Address: Corner of Jika Street and Park Lane 3084 Heidelberg, VIC, Australia

Website: http://heidelberghistoricalsociety.com.au

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25.01.2022 A PLAN FOR THIS COMING SUNDAY AFTERNOON! The weather looks gloomy so why not come to Ivanhoe and Heidelberg!? Why not make a day of it? Visit the Napier Waller exhibition at the brand new Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub in Upper Heidelberg Road. Mervyn Napier Waller, whose house in Crown Road is shown below, was part of the artistic circle who lived in the Fairy Hills area. He was an acclaimed stained glass and mosaic artist, and his first wife Christian shared his interes...t in stained glass as well as woodcuts, linocuts and book illustration. The house was constructed in 1922-3 and may look very familiar to fans of the Dr. Blake TV series. An exhibition of works of art from Napier House is on display at the new Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub until 18 April (closed Monday and Tuesday). It is open between 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. - including this Sunday! While you're nearby, call in to the Heidelberg Historical Society Old Courthouse Museum in Jika Street Heidelberg to see our 'Busy Bee Signature Quilt' exhibition. We open at 2.00 p.m. on Sundays only (so there's enough time for Waller, Lunch, and HHS Museum!) and entry is $5.00

25.01.2022 We often hear today of industries 'in transition', but spare a thought for the carriage builders of the 19th century during the transition to the motor car in the early decades of the 20th century. Newnham and Son at 221-3 (later 478-82) Heidelberg Rd Fairfield made this transition during their 75 year history, going from horse-drawn carts to luxury coaches and delivery trucks. The company was established in 1913 by Frederick Jnr. and William Newnham when they purchased an ex...isting company, Fairfield Carriage Works. During WWI the company produced and repaired vehicles for the army and essential services, and at night their factory was used as the depot for the Men's Section of the Fairfield Red Cross. Special woodworking machinery was installed in March 1916 for the manufacture of crutches, chairs and even Christmas hamper crates, bound for the front. In July 1920 Newnham and Son began placing this advertisement on the front page of each edition of the Heidelberg News- often the only illustration! At that time they employed 16 men producing motor lorries and placing touring car bodies on Studebaker and Buick chassis in the motor section, and building jinkers, carts and buggies in the coachbuilding section. Reflecting the mixture of horse and motorcar traffic at the time, the firm had several departments including body building, smithing, horseshoeing, painting, trimming and wood machining. In July 1920 they had just completed an order for 14 vehicles- both horse and motor delivery wagons- for the New Way Rabbit Supply, completed in three and a half months. The Heidelberg Road factory was completely rebuilt in 1953 and then years later, moved to Raglan St Preston, starting production in January 1964. In 1967 they began building passenger coaches and buses, which by 1988 made up 80% of their production. In some years they produced up to 75 buses and other vehicles. In 1988 Newnham and Son was acquired by Custom Coaches Manufacturing Company and renamed 'Newnham Custom'. It continued until 2001, when Custom Denning relocated to Adelaide.

25.01.2022 Have you been to Sills Bend lately? A recent walk around Sill’s Bend in Warringal Park on a warm and windy Sunday demonstrated the value Melburnians place on their public parks and gardens, particularly in this time of Covid19 restrictions. Sill’s Bend and the neighbouring Fanning’s Bend are evocative reminders of Heidelberg’s agricultural past. Read more at: http://www.heidelberghistoricalsociety.com.au/hhs/hhs.php

24.01.2022 The grocery store built by John May in 1899 on the corner of Burgundy and Hawdon Streets is up for sale, along with adjoining buildings. This image from about 1900-1909 shows the store while it was operating as a grocery store, with a wrap-around verandah on both sides. The large sliding door that still faces the Burgundy St side is a sign of its former life as a grocery store right up until the mid 1960s. The 'Heidelberg News' of 9 June 1899 announced the opening of the new ...store when it was constructed: "Slowly but surely the township of Heidelberg is making headway. Quite recently a number of handsome new buildings have been erected. One of the most noticeable of these, both for the conspicuous position and its handsome substantial appearance, is the two-storey brick shop and dwelling occupied by Mr E.F. Frost situate at the corner of Hawdon and Burgundy Streets. The building was erected to the order of Mr John May who has thus marked his faith in the prospective prosperity of the district, and the same may be said of Mr Frost, the occupier, who is far and away our most enterprising and up-to-date businessman. The fittings of the commodious shop are superb, and Mr Frost has a large varied and first quality stock, quite equal to anything to be seen in a city establishment. When the railway is built and Burgundy Street becomes a thoroughfare of bustle and life, he will, no doubt, command a large share of the merchant trade. The prices are as low as those current in any of the leading popular cash grocers' warehouses in Melbourne." Remember that our museum and research rooms are open on Sundays 2-5 in the Old Courthouse, entry $5.00. Come to explore our rich archives and photo collection of the Heidelberg District and see our fascinating "Heidelberg's Busy Bee Signature Quilt" exhibition Image: Detail from SLV image. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/295306

24.01.2022 '20 ..... THE YEAR OF THE TIGER It was the Year of the Tiger in 1920, just as it is in 2020. But when we talk of the Year of the Tiger in 1920 - one hundred years ago- we mean the 'Tigers' at Heidelberg Football Club, who won the Grand Final against Ivanhoe in a low scoring match (Heidelberg 6.14 and Ivanhoe 2.6.) The match, viewed by over 2000 spectators was held at Heidelberg's home ground in Heidelberg Park - across the road from its present ground in Warringal Park. Th...e Heidelberg Football Club made the shift after a recess in WWII. The Heidelberg Football Club was established in 1876, nine years before the Richmond Football Club started. It was part of the Melbourne Football League and played against teams like Northcote, Waverley, South Melbourne and Sandridge. After joining the Bourke-Evelyn Football League as a founding member in 1890, it competed in the second division of the VFA between 1900 and 1902. In 1909 it was a founding member of the Heidelberg District Football League, playing against more local teams. It won the premiership in 1911 and 1912 and then again in 1920. There was a four-year hiatus in the competition on account of WWI. In 2020 we saw the "Yellow and Black" and the "Blue and White" on the Gabba together. Oddly, the original colours of the Heidelberg Football Club, before they adopted the Yellow and Black in the 1880s, were blue and white, with a fetching outfit of blue knickers, blue and white jersey with a cerise band, blue and white hose and a cap. And here are the members of the Heidelberg Football Club, looking all very spruced up for the occasion, celebrating their 1920 premiership win. The celebratory dinner, organized by the Ladies Committee was held at the Recreation Hall (now Banksia Palliative Care) in Lower Heidelberg Rd on Wed 25 August 1920. The dinner had been promised two years earlier, if they won the premiership. The club's 1911-1912 banner was suspended above the table, and the young ladies who waited on the tables were "becomingly attired" with yellow and black on their caps. At 8.30 the room was cleared and a few hours' dancing was indulged in by about 70 couples. You can read more about the history of Heidelberg Football Club at their website https://www.heidelbergfnc.com.au/history. Image: Photo: Table Talk 2 September 1920 through Trove. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146691368

24.01.2022 Ever wondered about this building as you’ve been making your way through the Ivanhoe Shopping Centre? On the corner of Upper Heidelberg Road and Ivanhoe Parade, number 218-224 is an example of the Spanish Mission style of architecture that became popular in Australia in the 1920s and 1930s. Although there are many residential examples of this style in Ivanhoe and Heidelberg, this is a rare example of its commercial use. The style is characterised by textured render, reddish ...Marseilles-pattern roof tiles, window boxes, timber shutters and arched gables. Although considerably altered on the lower level, the upper level remains much as it was built in 1932-33. Ivanhoe resident, Henry Theodore Eiseman (1870-1942), commissioned the building which cost 3,200. The 1935 Sands & McDougall directory lists businesses in the four shops as WG Carson (Confectioner), Mrs I Davy (Dressmaker), NS Stone (Cakes) and NJ Williams (Ironmonger). Eiseman was a very active figure in local community life. He helped establish the Ivanhoe Dramatic Club (1910) and was also a founding member of the Ivanhoe Bowling Club (1912). With Skipper Wilson he organised a public subscription to buy Yarra River frontage land as public open space which was then donated to the Heidelberg Council (1924). He and Cr Nellie Ibbott failed in their 1937 bid to establish a public swimming pool, however he did get the children’s library started in a room beneath the Town Hall.

24.01.2022 This photo from 1982 shows the former Shire Offices in their previous location beside the Austin Hospital. They may look familiar, because over their history they have been remarkably well-travelled buildings. They were first built in 1889 in Heidelberg Gardens, opposite the present Old Court House Museum occupied by Heidelberg Historical Society. In 1909 they were shifted by horse and dray up to this site on the corner of Studley Rd (Barkly Place) and Burgundy Street with... additions by H. Desbrowe Annear, who designed several buildings in the Heidelberg and Ivanhoe area. Other wings were added over time. When the present Mercy Hospital was constructed, they were shifted down to the Banyule Flats in the early 2000s, where they still stand today as a community building. Behind the Shire Offices you can see the Leslie Jenner Nurses Home, which was built in 1955 and named after a former Austin Hospital Board Vice President and President between 1930-1952. The nurses home was built on the site of the vegetable garden that provided vegetables for the hospital. It was demolished in 2001 as part of the Austin/Mercy Hospital development. Photo source: Graeme Butler Heidelberg Conservation Study. https://www.flickr.com//388354/in/album-72157670455708935/

23.01.2022 To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the declaration of the end of WWII, here's an image that shows Heidelberg Railway Station in a different light. Taken on November 11, 1943 it shows wounded soldiers from the Northern battle areas arriving by train, carrying their kit bags, to be transported up to the nearby Heidelberg Military Hospital in Banksia Street. Note the red crosses painted on the carriage roofs. You can read more about the Heidelberg Military Hospital at the be...autifully produced commemorative page WWII at Home - Response, Reflection & Rejuvenation project available at https://www.wwiiathome.com.au/hmh.html There's fascinating information on the website about 18 sites of significance that represent the transformative impact the Second World War had on Victoria, including the Murtoa Stick Shed, the Eltham War Memorial Building, the Explosives Factory at Maribrynong and much more. It's well worth a look. Image source: State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/167773

22.01.2022 Here's a familiar sight- the shop on the corner of Upper Heidelberg Road and Seddon Street in the Ivanhoe Shopping Centre. But look carefully, and you'll see that the street sign identifies 'Station Street', the earlier name for what we now know as Seddon Street. Gilray Stores were early occupiers of these shops, which were constructed in 1937-1938 at a cost of 2735 pounds. Gilrays sold drapery, and in 1950 Coles stores purchased their Balwyn, Fairfield and Ivanhoe shops. Al...though the State Library of Victoria dates the photo as 1940-1950, it is probably later than that. Juanita Gift Salon opened in 1952 and was still there in 1960. All those prams suggest a baby boom, and Station Street was renamed Seddon Street between 1955 and 1960. So, this photo probably dates to some time between those five years. In the Heidelberg Conservation Study of 1985 Graeme Butler describes the building as being of "Neo-Tudor" design, and notes that: "Gables, with glazed soldier coursed brickwork trimming the outline, Marseilles-pattern tiles (clinker), cream painted textured stucco and an oriel in the corner, are important elements". Unfortunately the diamond paned glass in the oriel seems to have disappeared. For many years the shop was a menswear store and now it is a rather magical toy shop, which seems particularly fitting for a shop that has a little balcony and oriel upstairs! Image source: State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/365418

21.01.2022 What happened in the Heidelberg District in the past is fascinating, but what DIDN’T happen is even more intriguing. How about a speedway in Ivanhoe on the river flats near Burke Road? That was what the Olympia Speedway Company proposed in 1926. Speedway racing for both cars and motorbikes was very popular in the 1920s. In 1924 speedways opened at the Melbourne Motordrome in present-day Olympic Park (with the involvement of John Wren) and at Aspendale Park. The Olympia Spe...edway Company envisaged the Ivanhoe Speedway as part of a chain of six speedways throughout Australia, with the Sydney speedway at Maroubra, and the Brisbane speedway at Davies Park already in operation. Additional speedways were planned for Adelaide, Perth and Wellington N.Z. In January 1926, the Olympia Speedway Company issued a prospectus for the construction of the Ivanhoe Speedway on 170 acres surrounded by the Boulevard, with access via Burke Road. It had purchased the land from Mr Irvine on condition that no horse racing or betting take place there. Of the 170 acres, 130 acres were prone to flooding. It was proposed that the Ivanhoe Speedway would be 1 miles round and 66 ft wide. It would be constructed of concrete pillars with timber dressing requiring 3,000,000 superfeet of 6X2 inch mountain ash. The company assured council that the wooden flooring had been chosen to reduce noise, and that no unsightly buildings would be constructed, and that all advertising hoardings would be inside the enclosure. Not surprisingly, the neighbours were not impressed. At a public meeting at Ivanhoe Hall on 24 February 1926, they passed a resolution that Council use every lawful means to prevent its construction, claiming that it would decrease the value of nearby residences and lead to noise and the influx of undesirables. Council vetoed the proposal. It was understood that Mr Irvine withdrew the land from sale and refunded the 1150 pounds that had been paid to him by the syndicate. No more was heard about the Ivanhoe Speedway, although the name continued to be used colloquially. Eight years later the whole area was deluged by the 1934 floodwaters, which would have made short work of all that timber racetrack. Image: Not Ivanhoe! The Maroubra Speedway in Sydney in late 1925. Creator Sam Hood, from the collection of the State Library of New South Wales

21.01.2022 Hold on!!?? Where did that house come from??? If you were driving along Rosanna Road in 2011 you might have been startled to see this handsome weatherboard home appear like magic on a block south of the Assisi Centre Aged Care complex, close to the Coorie Cres corner. In fact, the house had stood on the grounds of the former convent since 1903 but on the northern side, largely hidden by trees. Part of the original St James Park Estate subdivision, it was designed by the arch...itects Oakden and Ballantyne for G.T.A. Laveter, who was the Chief Accountant of the Victoria Railways. Oakden and Ballantyne also designed the Ivanhoe and Hawthorn Fire Stations. It was variously known as 'Laveter House' or 'The Gables'. It was purchased by the Sisters of Mercy in 1927, who built the nearby convent in 1928-9. It became the residence for a number of priests until the mid 1960s, and was later occupied by a group of Maronite nuns. When Assisi Centre Aged Care expanded their aged care facilities, the house was relocated to a block south of the old convent building, closer to the road. It was shifted in August 2011, following a route through the centre grounds rather than using Rosanna Road. Weighing 120 tonnes, it had beams inserted under the house and was shifted by two heavy loaders- one at the front and the other at the back. In its original location, the house was surrounded by beautiful gardens, including huge date palms. Let's hope that one day the gardens of Laveter House might flower again. Our research room has photographs of many homes and streetscapes from the Heidelberg, Rosanna, Ivanhoe and Fairfield districts and our museum is featuring 'Heidelberg's Busy Bee Signature Quilt'. We are open Sunday between 2.00 and 5.00 p.m. Entry $5.00

20.01.2022 A Then-and-Now image of Rosanna Shopping Centre

20.01.2022 Now that it has been completely enclosed by a high-rise building, it's easy to forget how distinctive 1041 Heidelberg Road was in the past, located on the corner near to the Darebin Railway Station. It was built in 1935, with Stella Kenehan registered as the first owner, and Reginald Day as the first occupier. He had previously conducted a newsagency some doors up towards Ivanhoe at number 1045. It later became a combined newsagency/Post Office. The building remained a news...agency for the next 50-odd years, as it still was in this 1982 photograph by Graeme Butler. "Stokers" Pancakes can be seen to the left. In recent years it has been a trampoline and pedal cart store, a wedding photography shop and more recently a coffee shop. Image: Graeme Butler Flickr https://www.flickr.com//377976/in/album-72157670455708935/

19.01.2022 Sometimes what went on at the back of the hotel was as important as what was happening in the bar! This is a photograph of the stables at the back of the Sir Henry Barkly Hotel. With our reliance on cars today, it's easy to forget that hotels played an important role in providing stabling for horses as well. These are probably the stables that were attached to the old, single storey Sir Henry Barkly hotel. In 1878 the licencee William Cassidy advertised that the coaches for... Melbourne and the surrounding districts changed horses at the Henry Barkly, and that the stables were under the care of a first-class groom. Although we don't have a firm date, this photo dates from after 1888, when the original hotel was rebuilt as the double-storey hotel that stands today. It was quite common to leave the outbuildings and stables intact. In 1899 Messrs. W. A. Wilson and Co were awarded the contract for Her Majesty's Mails to and from Heidelberg to Diamond Creek, Warrandyte, etc. Their passenger depot was located at the Sir Henry Barkly Hotel. His new coaches were "strongly built, light-running vehicles, commodious and constructed on the latest principles." On 16 April 1902 a "mysterious" fire occurred at 1.00 a.m. in the outbuildings where the coaches were kept. At first suspicion was directed at swagmen, who may have been sleeping in the coaches. The fire appeared to be deliberately lit as four of the coaches were burning before the building itself ignited. Six coaches and traps were destroyed, all belonging to Mr Wilson. The fire brigade, which was located across the road from Heidelberg Primary School in Cape Street, arrived expeditiously but their hose couplings were jammed and no water was available for a quarter of an hour. The firemen later alleged that they had been hindered by the public, who uncoupled the hoses. Many pigeons in the loft over the storehouse were killed, and the flames were just taking hold of the stables, in which there were seven horses, when the water came through. The horses, which were screaming loudly in fright, were all rescued. Mr Wilson received 150 pounds from his insurance company for the loss, while Mr Dawson, the publican, received 27 pounds for the destruction of the outbuildings. Our hotels today may have bottle shops attached, but back in the late 19th and early 20th century, stables for the horses were much more important!

18.01.2022 Cars parked at Clinton's Garage, Burgundy Street, Heidelberg. Car on left owned by Mr. Janes, a photographer, of Ivanhoe. Mr W.E. Clinton sits in car on right, ...an American "Krit". Car in doorway is an electric buggy with solid rubber wheels, owned by Professor Laver from Melbourne University. Do you know where exactly on Burgundy Street this garage was in 1912? Source: Yarra Plenty Regional Library in partnership with Heidelberg Historical Society #ThrowbackThursday See more

18.01.2022 WE'RE OPEN AGAIN! We'll be opening on Sunday afternoons on 29th November, 6th December and 13th December. There will be two sessions:. 2.00- 3.15 and 3.30 to 4.45 p.m. Entry $5.00 BOOKINGS REQUIRED: Email us at [email protected] telling us the time and date you would prefer. We will get back to you.... Come along to see our exhibition on 'Heidelberg's Busy Bee Signature Quilt' or check out our resources in the Research Room.

17.01.2022 We are not open on Easter Sunday, but we'll be back open again on Sunday 11th April between 2.00 and 5.00 p.m.

15.01.2022 Have you been missing your exercise during this coronavirus shutdown? Well, if you had been a schoolgirl at Cooerwull (the forerunner to Ivanhoe Girls Grammar School) a hundred years ago, you could have kept fit doing Physical Culture under the auspices of the Bjelke-Petersen Physical Culture School, which was offered as part of the curriculum. Bjelke-Peterson - now where have we heard that name? No, it's not Premier Joh from Queensland, but instead it's his uncles Hans Chris...tian, Johannes and Harald and aunt Marie who established a physical culture gymnasium in Hobart, not long after their arrival in 1892. They expanded into Sydney in 1907 where they established multiple branches. In 1909 they commenced a Melbourne branch in the Temperance and General Building at 132 Swanston St. By 1913 they advertised that they had a staff of over 25 lady and gentlemen experts. Many girls' schools in Melbourne, including Cooerwull, offered "Physical Culture by Prof. Bjelke-Petersen" which included Deportment Drill Classes. These classes were not taught by Prof. Bjelke-Petersen himself, but instead by a teacher accredited by the institute. Their booklet, seen here, advertised that "The Secret of a Perfect Form for your daughter lies in the application of regular exercises designed to develop the deficient parts. Exercises which correct her stoop and raise her chest. Some gentle daily exercises which restore and revive the circulation in all the vital organs, and bring them into normal state, will be found a great aid to her complexion and appearance". I bet you're sitting up straighter already. Image: Bjelke-Petersen Bros. : what we do for children. State Library of NSW FL3503027

15.01.2022 In February 1919, Mrs Agnes Wall opened 'Admara' (or 'Ardmara'), a private maternity hospital at her home in Hawdon Street. Her husband, Thomas Wall, conducted a woodyard on the block next door, close to the railway which brought the wood. At this time, most women either gave birth at home or, increasingly, in a private hospital like this one. Mrs Wall had quite a bit of competition. There was another private hospital 'Silistria' conducted by Nurse Dunn in Yarra Street He...idelberg, and the midwife Nurse Jackson worked from her private hospital 'Kia-Ora' in Upper Heidelberg Road between Westley Avenue and Ivanhoe Parade. Miss Smith's 'Wynstay' operated in Park St Ivanhoe. There was a private hospital called 'Airlie' at 3 Kenilworth Parade conducted by Sister Kelly, but this was not the same 'Airlie' in Upper Heidelberg Road where so many present day Ivanhoe residents were born. Sister Wall's 'Admara' hospital operated for nearly twenty years until 1938.

15.01.2022 Only half of the Halfway House Hotel remains.... It seems that we've been driving past the shell of the old Tower Hotel in Alphington for ages, with the gutting of the original hotel and its gradual deterioration prior to redevelopment. There has been a hotel on this site since the mid 1860s, but at that time it was called the Halfway House Hotel. It was a small timber hotel, and there was quite a bit of resistance to granting its licence because there were already two other... hotels nearby- the Alphington Hotel on the site of Dan Murphy's and the Darebin Bridge Hotel on the west side of Heidelberg Rd, on the Ivanhoe side of the bridge. It was purchased by William Frew in 1891 who demolished the old wooden hotel and built the double storey building in Italian Renaissance style in its place. He renamed it, appropriately enough, the Tower Hotel. In 1898 the 'Sportsman' newspaper 28/2/98 described it as a "well-known house [is] splendidly situated, contains over 20 rooms including bedrooms, sitting, commercial, smoking rooms and a well-appointed billiard room." The billiard room was a separate single-story building to the hotel. Between 1881 and 1909 there was a total of at least 22 publicans, many of them women, with few staying more than a few years. It was not until Isabelle Herbert took over the licence in 1934 that there was a period of stability until the 1960s, when the picture here was taken. It operated as a hotel until the late-2000s. Image: State Library of Victoria John T Collins 1907-2001 , photographer. [Dec. 29, 1963]

14.01.2022 The Centre of Heidelberg? It seems rather strange, but this vacant block of land on the corner of Cape Street and Burgundy Street could be said to have once been the community centre of Heidelberg! It was owned by Mrs Alice Davey (whose family also owned a butcher's shop in Heidelberg) and it was there that people gathered informally to celebrate public events. Fetes, fairs and especially bonfires on Empire Day and Guy Fawkes Day all took place on this vacant block. When the... circus came to town, it set up here. At the end of World War I, there was an impromptu barbecue held on the site, complete with a spit roast, to celebrate the end of the war. It's interesting to see the 'desire line' (i.e. an informal path that people make by taking short-cuts) that crosses the block. A short-cut to the Old England perhaps? Or perhaps school children made the path walking up to St John's Primary and Our Lady's? You can also see Clinton's garage - with whom Mrs Davey also had a family connection- beside the block, facing onto Burgundy Street. The vacant block was known colloquially as "Clinton's Paddock". This block remained vacant until sometime between 1955 and 1960, when shops, offices and a service station were constructed on the site. Burgundy Plaza, which stands there today, was sold in November 2017 for $14.4 million. We probably all know what will happen next. The research room and 'Heidelberg's Busy Bee Signature Quilt' exhibition has re-opened at the Old Courthouse Museum, after many months. We will be open on Sunday 29 November, 6 December and 13 December. For social distancing purposes, there are 2 sessions: 2.00 to 3.15 and 3.30 to 4.45. Entry $5.00. Email us at [email protected] to make a booking.

13.01.2022 Ivalda? That's a strange name! But not really, because the Masonic Centre in Salisbury Ave Ivanhoe, close to the Darebin station,was named for the three lodges that constructed it - IVanhoe, ALphington and DArebin. By coincidence, the order of the names follows the order of consecration of the three lodges, with Ivanhoe consecrated in 1914 and the Alphington and Darebin lodges consecrated in March and September 1922 respectively. Prior to the construction of the Masonic Cent...re, the Ivanhoe and Darebin Lodges met in Ivanhoe Hall (the former HATCH gallery) in Ivanhoe Pde, and the Alphington Lodge met in St Jude's Anglican Church Parish Hall in Lowther St Alphington (now private housing). On 5th April 1923 representatives of the three lodges met and discussed the advisability of building a central Temple in the Heidelberg district. The land in Salisbury Ave was purchased soon after for 332 pounds. Honorary Architect Bro B. Dunstan Reynolds designed the Centre which the Chairman, Wor Bro. H. H. Olney insisted must have a dome. The appointed builder Wor Brother W H. J. Bailey built the Centre for 5,500 pounds. The first sod was turned in October 1923, the foundation stone laid in December 1923 and it was officially opened on 29th July 1924. The temple was dedicated on 29 May 1925. All the timber furnishings, which still stand in the Centre today, were cut from a very large log of Australian Blackwood from Tasmania. The total cost of furnishings and fittings was 1,100 pounds, with many of the chairs, the canopy, and Revolving Pedestal donated by members or individual lodges. The Masonic Centre is used today by 25 different Lodge groups and two quilting groups.

12.01.2022 Here's an aerial photo of the Alphington and Darebin area taken by Charles Pratt in 1950. Three diagonal lines bisect the photo from the bottom left to the right. Reading from left to right, you can see Heidelberg Road on the left. The double storey Art Deco newsagency is visible about 1/3 of the way along, and you can see the former Darebin Bridge hotel over the Darebin creek, both on the right hand side of Heidelberg Road. You can see the Tower Hotel further along Heidelb...erg Road on the left hand side. Then you can see the railway line and Darebin Station in the middle, with the Ivalda Masonic Temple along Salisbury Ave. The clearly visible short, made road to the right of the railway is Rockbeare Grove. No sign here of the high rise buildings along Heidelberg Road! It's certainly much greener today, as the trees have grown and the Darebin Parklands have been revegetated. The river in the top left hand corner seems to have broken its banks. Image: State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/383018 You can download a high resolution image to explore in more detail.

11.01.2022 The Museum and Research Room at Heidelberg Historical Society are closed until further notice on account of the coronavirus pandemic. You may wish to consider becoming a member, which will give you online access to our photo and map database (displaying thumbnails), our online resources and more than 300 editions of our Heidelberg Historian newsletter. Go to www.heidelberghistoricalsociety.com.au We can be reached by email at [email protected]

09.01.2022 Dissent in the streets of Macleod! If you ask anyone who was living in Macleod in the 1950s and 1960s, the overwhelming memory is of the roads- or the lack of them! Until the mid-1960s, the streets of Macleod were unmade. They were dusty in summer, muddy in winter, with deep channels gouged out either side. This photo from August 1961 shows a residents' meeting in the Macleod Shopping Centre to discuss the roads in the area. The double-storey buildings in the background are the current Mr Macleod and Ciccone businesses. There are signs advertising products from the past: Toppa Ice Cream, the Sporting Globe and the Sun. There's an old red telephone box there too, and the fruit shop is displaying its 45- telephone number.

09.01.2022 Look! A new tram line has opened! The ribbon has been cut by the Shire President’s wife and all the worthies are there to celebrate the coming of the tram. But not for the Heidelberg District, unfortunately. This picture is of the opening of the Plenty Rd tramline in Preston April 1920. Despite about 30 years of lobbying, there was to be no tramline to service Ivanhoe or Heidelberg to this very day. This was not for lack of trying. Many suburbs began agitating for tramlines i...n the first decade of the 1900s. Here are a few of the plans involving Ivanhoe and Heidelberg none of which came to fruition 1. 1910 Route from Clifton Hill to Heidelberg, along Heidelberg Rd through Fairfield, Alphington, Ivanhoe and Heidelberg to the junction of Plenty and Rosanna Roads 2. 1912 Route along High Street Northcote to Darebin Rd, along Livingstone Street to Ivanhoe. 3. 1915 Route from Clifton Hill to Darebin, along Upper Heidelberg Rd and down the hill to Heidelberg then returning to the city via Lower Heidelberg Rd. Cost estimated at 74,200 with an operating loss of 4000 the first year, and anticipated annual revenue of 10,800. Put aside because of World War I 4. 1919 Route along St Kilda, Punt Rd/Hoddle Street into Heidelberg Road at Clifton Hill, along Station St Fairfield, to Darebin Road/Livingstone Street to Ivanhoe. Branch line 1- along Waterdale Rd to Bell St Branch line 2- along Lower Heidelberg Rd to Burgundy Street. Five years of discussions followed with nothing. Preston got its tramline along Plenty Road in 1920, but the Heidelberg plans were shelved. The last tramway link for Heidelberg was mooted in 1946 when it was suggested that a double tramway line should be built from Cotham Rd Kew to East Ivanhoe over the Burke Rd Bridge. Costs were drawn up for building the line and widening the bridge...and the project was quietly forgotten. Image: Darebin Heritage 'First tram on Plenty Rd' http://heritage.darebinlibraries.vic.gov.au/archiveima/5031

07.01.2022 When thinking about political action in the Heidelberg District, perhaps Waterdale Road West Heidelberg doesn't spring immediately to mind. But fifty years ago this month, Waterdale Rd was the site of three protest marches and clashes between students from La Trobe University and police and Special Branch members. The protests were initially in support of the moratorium marches against the Vietnam War, but widened to the broader question of the right to protest. Barry York, ...who was one of the organizers, has written about these marches on the Museum of Australian Democracy website. https://www.moadoph.gov.au//asserting-the-right-to-protes/ It includes a 2 minute sound clip with Larry Abramson talking about his arrest at gunpoint. You can hear more reflections of the participants at the second march at this YouTube site https://youtu.be/wEjQhhnX5WU See more

07.01.2022 MOORWATHA (1908) Don't try to find Moorwatha in Macleod, because it's long gone. All you'll find is an adjacent street named for this 1908 house. The first owner-occupiers of Moorwatha were estate agent Mr W. N. Kirk and his wife Annie. Their son, also called William (but possibly known as Henry) fought in World War I, enlisting in October 1915 and returning in May 1919. It was not unknown for fathers to follow their sons to the front, and his father William Noble Kirk trie...d to enlist in 1917 at the age of 44, but was discharged after a few months as medically unfit. After William N. Kirk Snr. died in 1933, Moorwatha was put up for sale in 1935, along with 26 acres divided into 5 acre blocks. At that time it was described as a Gentleman's Residence, with 7ft verandas, 6 large rooms, metal ceilings, 2 large vestibules, bathroom, pantry and extensive glassed in back veranda. It had a double garage and workshop, laundry, stable and cowshed and a feed store. The water was laid on, and electricity was at the gate. The garden boasted 25 fruit trees, 7 orange trees and a "wonderful grape vine of table grapes, enclosing two long verandahs". There was a cottage included in the sale. It went up for sale again in 1953, when it was described as "Moorwatha House". The property ran between Falcon Rd and Wilmot Street, directly opposite Newtown Rd. By now it was 27 squares, including verandahs, boasting 9 rooms including lounge, dining room, 5 bedrooms, sunroom, kitchen, bathroom, laundry etc. The cottage was described as a 'villa' of fibro cement with a fibrolite roof and two bedrooms. It was demolished in the mid-1980s. You can read a lovely description of Macleod and Moorwatha by the Australian Author, Gerald Murnane, who lived in Falcon Rd for many years, after shifting to Macleod in 1969. He could see Moorwatha from his window, and he mourned the loss of the both the house and its garden. (It's a really good article) https://www.theage.com.au//the-overlooked-suburb-where-the

07.01.2022 It's racing season again (even though it mightn't feel like it) and Heidelberg has a long history with racing, trotting and other equine pursuits. This postcard is titled 'The Cricket Oval, Heidelberg' but just as prominent is the trotting track that surrounds the oval at what was also known as the Heidelberg Racecourse. There is some doubt as to the precise location of the first track where races were held from the early 1850s. By 1853 there is a record of horse racing at... Heidelberg and by 1855, of a trotting match held at the Heidelberg Racecourse. The Argus (13 February 1860) gives a detailed account of the second day’s events at Heidelberg Races which included the Handicap Hurdle Race, Publican’s Purse, Shilling Stakes, Consolation Stakes and the Pony Ride. The shortness of the course was suggested as the reason for the jockeys doing an extra lap in one race and the lack of organisation as we generally find to be the case at non-metropolitan horse gatherings meant that the meeting was probably wound up by moonlight. Moonlight races- now there's an idea! Image: State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/295199 Read more about horse-racing in Heidelberg at http://www.heidelberghistoricalsociety.com.au/hhs/hhs.php

04.01.2022 Advertising itself in 1903 as "the Favourite Road Side House of Call", the Alphington Hotel stood on the site of the current Dan Murphy's from 1861 to c.1985. When you rush along Heidelberg Road today, it's easy to overlook that there was a little cluster of development on the southern (city) side of Darebin Creek bridge, with 2 pubs, a church and shops. This picture taken after 1916 shows the Alphington Hotel on the left hand side, with the Alphington Methodist church beside... it. I wonder how the Methodists felt about their neighbours, given that they were there first from 1856, building the bluestone church in 1859? Further down Heidelberg Road can be seen the Tower Hotel, built in 1891, replacing the earlier Half-Way Hotel on the site. Even though women didn't venture into the public bar of a pub (staying instead in the Ladies Lounge), it was quite common to have a female publican. In fact, in the late 1800s and early 20th century, over 50% of publicans were women. Not only did they have more authority over male drinkers, but until the 1960s publicans were required to live on site, making the pub a family home for the publican and his/her family. Of the 26 known publicans of the Alphington Hotel, at least ten were women, with Abigail Foulkes holding the licence for 28 years between 1874 and 1902. Between 1910-1929 there were seven female publicans, including Ellen Ryan (of Ryans Hotel in Ivanhoe). In the mid 1960s, Ted Overs took up the licence and began purchasing surrounding properties. By 1971 the pub, which had previously only had two small bars and a small lounge had expanded dramatically. It had a large drive-in bottleshop, an expanded lounge capable of seating 180 people, car parking for 240 patrons and a TV and sports bar. In 1985 the property was purchased by Dan Murphy, and the 124 year old Alphington Hotel was demolished to create the large liquor store standing there today. Image: Darebin Heritage- where there's another terrific picture of the Alphington Hotel - http://heritage.darebinlibraries.vic.gov.au/article/680

03.01.2022 It was seventy five years ago that the community was celebrating the end of the war. Heidelberg Council decorated the town hall. It must have been a glorious s...ight and seen from afar as the building was constructed on a high point in the City. Note the "V" for victory light formation #ThrowbackThursday Photo 1945 Yarra Plenty Regional Library in partnership with Heidelberg Historical Society See more

03.01.2022 An excellent exhibition at the new Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub. A famous local identity at a new local landmark!

02.01.2022 Happy Mothers Day!

01.01.2022 The former Darebin Bridge Hotel is the second oldest standing hotel structure in Heidelberg. (The oldest section of the Old England Hotel is older). But when was it built? There are a few dates given for its construction - 1844 (demolished and replaced), 1848, 1850 and 1862-64 !!! If it was one of the first three dates, then it wasn't even beside the Darebin Bridge, which used to be a wooden bridge located east of the Tower Hotel, near where Alphington Grammar is today. The ...present basalt bridge was constructed over the Darebin Creek between 1862-4, and the Heidelberg Conservation Study and the Victorian Heritage Database cite these years as the date of construction of the Darebin Bridge Hotel, suggesting that earlier references to the hotel were referring to earlier 'Darebin Creek Hotel' premises south of the present location, no longer in operation. The hotel known as the Darebin Bridge Hotel (where-ever it was and whenever it was built!) had a succession of 23 publicans between 1844 and 1922, including nine female publicans. The licence was surrendered in 1922. Since 1907 the Licences' Reduction Board had been working to reduce the number of hotels in all districts to 1885 statutory levels, and given the presence of the Tower and Alphington Hotels on the other side of the bridge, this little stretch of Heidelberg Road was certainly well resourced with hotels! After decommissioning, the old hotel became a Chinese laundry and a rooming house. It was purchased by the artist Lina Bryans in c.1942 and it attracted a number of artists including Ada Plante, Ambrose Hallen, Jock Frater and Ian Fairweather. Each of the external walls was painted a slightly different shade of pink, and it became known as the 'Pink Hotel'. Bryans sold the hotel in 1948 and since then it has been used by a number of businesses, including the Australian Paper Mills who purchased it in 1951 used it as a cardboard testing laboratory. In October 1997 it suffered $75,000 damages through fire when it was occupied by Erwin Sick Optic Electronics P/L, who manufactured industrial sensors. No doubt those thick basalt walls are why the old Darebin Bridge Hotel continues to stand today! Image: HHS 1981

01.01.2022 From the 1860s on, if you were looking for a drink in Heidelberg, you had two choices: the Old England Hotel (see post 16 Aug 2019) or the Sir Henry Barkly Hotel. The first Sir Henry Barkly Hotel was built c. 1856-9. It was named for Sir Henry Barkly, the 2nd Governor of Victoria between 1856-1863, as were other Sir Henry Barkly Hotels along the river bank in Richmond, Westgarth St Fitzroy, Woodstock and in Ballarat. Located on the corner of Cape St and Burgundy St as it stil...l is today, the original building was a single story brick building, with a verandah on both sides and a lantern hanging outside the front door. There appears to be a dwelling attached on the Cape Street side. By 1877 it had 8 rooms, exclusive of those required for the family. The Dawson family took up the licence in 1886 and four generations of the family were associated with the hotel over the next century. In Dec 1888 there was a call for tenders to complete "additions" to the hotel. These "additions" were extensive, as it seems that the hotel was entirely reconstructed during 1889 into the building we know today (and shown here in this picture). Especially before the construction of the Recreation Hall in 1892 (present day Banksia Palliative Care), the hotels were the social centre of the town. The Heidelberg Road Trust, the Victorian Agricultural Society and the Heidelberg Racing Club all held meetings there. Coroners inquests were held at the hotel, and in 1899 the Heidelberg Court sat there while waiting for the new Court House to be completed. As with the Old England Hotel, it was a popular meeting place for hunting clubs, with a deer hunt setting off from there in October 1868 and the Burwood Hounds meeting there in 1894. Large dinners, political meetings and shareholder meetings were conducted in the hotel, and many meetings were held in the Lodge Room attached to the hotel.