East Melbourne Historical Society
People, places and stories, connected.
77 results
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I am seeking a community of people in East Melbourne who love art, and chose to collect art objects for their homes. My name is Kayla, and I live locally on Gipps Street. I am studying Art History and Curation at Monash University. Currently I am working on a curatorial project t...
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Index to MMBW plansWith the permission of the State Library of Victoria, the East Melbourne Historical Society has published a (nearly) full set of MMBW plans drawn between 1895 and 1900 covering East Melbourne. The easiest way to access the plans is from the Index to MMBW plans.
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Ball and Welch was once one of Melbourne’s landmark department stores, along with others such as Buckley and Nunn. History tells us that the store was founded by Charles Ball and his nephew, William Henry Welch. But perhaps there is more to the story. It is likely that their wive...
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Daniel Bedggood arrived in Melbourne in 1854. Almost immediately he set up a boot and shoe factory in Richmond. A successful business from the start, succeeding generations kept it going and his son, John, oversaw the transition to a new and bigger factory in Jolimont, at 22 Agne...
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Bunjilaka Aboriginal Culture Centre contains a permanent exhibition, created by a shared enterprise between Museum Victoria and the Victorian Aboriginal Community. It brings together the knowledge, culture, stories, objects and images from the Koorie peoples of Victoria and the w...
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Greg de Moore was to speak to us on 16 June 2010 about Tom Wills, the co-founder of Australian Rules Football. Unfortunately Greg has had to reschedule. However, John Briggs, a heritage architect, known to many in East Melbourne, has agreed to speak to us on 16 June about heritag...
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2010 City of Melbourne Growth FrameworkOur President Jill Fenwick reports on recent correspondence and discussions with the State Government and with the City of Melbourne concerning Yarra Park and developments in the sporting precincts and along the railway lines.
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With Remberance Day coming up it seems a fitting time to acknowledge one of East Melbourne’s many residents who enlisted to serve their King and Country in the Great War. Shown here is Henri Joseph Lamande, in one of the more diverting photos in our society’s collection. For him...
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If you're looking for somewhere new to visit, why not head down to see the new Docklands Library at 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade? Catch the 48 tram down to its final stop, get off and spend a pleasant time exploring this new addition to our library network. It's an exciting pla...
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On 24 June 2022, in the case of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organisation the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its 1973 ruling, made as result of the now famous Roe v Wade case, that gave a fundamental right to women to access abortion under the Fourteenth Amendment. Justice Alito...
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One of East Melbourne’s more notable residents was Dr Julian Smith: a remarkable man, famous in two very different fields, surgery and photography. Born in England in 1873, he arrived in South Australia with his family three years later. He studied medicine at Adelaide University...
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Eastbourne House stands on the corner of Wellington Parade and Simpson Street in East Melbourne. It is a two-storey building of 16 rooms, with a large balcony overhanging Simpson Street, and is classified by the National Trust. It was built for Dr Samuel Peacock in 1902. He used...
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Dr. Ross McMullin is an historian and biographer whose major interests are Australian history, politics and sport. He has written extensively on the impact of involvement in World War 1 on Australia. His prize-winning biography on one of Australia's outstanding military leaders,...
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East Melbourne in the past was generally regarded as a purely residential suburb with little commercial or industrial activity except for the large and very visible enterprises of the Bedggood shoe factory in Jolimont and the Victoria Brewery in Victoria Parade. But there were a...
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EMHS members are invited to contribute their thoughts on the Society's involvement in planning and heritage issues. Follow this link to join the forum.
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The East Melbourne Historical Society catalogue is now on the web site. Just click on the Catalogue menu item at the top right or follow this link: http://emhs.org.au/catalogue.
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Our website is undergoing a major upgrade. During the next few days a number of changes will be made which will improve the appearance of the site, accessibility of information, functionality, speed and security. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience during this proce...
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The East Melbourne Historical Society is undertaking a project on the history of the former Yarra Park State school. The school, which was closed in 1987, and converted in the early 1990s into residential apartments, was opened in July 1874 and was one of the first large urban st...
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East Melbourne Historical Society is researching the lives of the names that were on the World War 1 Honour Roll of the old Yarra Park State School that was situated on the corner of Wellington Parade and Punt Road between 1874 and 1987. There are many interesting stories that ha...
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"Some months ago the parks and gardens committee decided to make the Fitzroy gardens more attractive by erecting a rustic kiosk, where tea coffee and light refreshments might be dispensed. Aided by the Government, a suitable structure was erected in the park and after arrangement...
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Cabmen’s shelters had been a feature of London streets since 1875. These little buildings provided much needed shelter for cabmen while they waited for customers. But it was not until 1898 that an anonymous benefactor put up the money to erect the first of Melbourne’s shelters. A...
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In mid-May I was crossing the wedge of green space on the north west corner of the intersection of Hoddle Street and Wellington Parade/Bridge Road known as Weedon Reserve. In that small park is a monument to someone who has slipped out of the public memory, but who in his day wa...
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Along with many of their fellow Australians people from East Melbourne flocked to enlist. Many were heroes. Many lost their lives or suffered horrific physical or mental injuries. Many at home worked, endured and suffered consequences.
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Rob Droogleever has written to us seeking help with research for his new book which is a regimental history of the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles Contingent in the Boer War. The book will include short biographies of the men involved and he is looking for any information, photos, l...