East Melbourne Historical Society

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.

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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East Melbourne at Work

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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Former Yarra Park School

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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George Page Cooper - Art Collector

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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Gone, But Not Forgotten

"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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Grand Rank Cabman's Shelter

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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Harold Parsons Memorial

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...

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.

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...

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Hole plugged in MMBW plans

Thumb print of missing planA significant hole has been plugged in our set of MMBW plans for East Melbourne. The missing plan covers the area bounded by Grey, Hoddle, Hotham and Powlett Streets. It was drawn in 1899 but had managed to escape digitisation until clever detective wor...

Thank you all for coming this evening to share in the joy of our celebrations. When we started thinking about how we would celebrate these important events, we were clear that we wanted to offer something for our friends and neighbours in the wider community of East Melbourne.

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J W H T Douglas: Gentleman Cricketer

With the coming of summer a major event in the East Melbourne area is the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. This year’s match will be between Australia and South Africa.

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James Sinclair and his Cottage

In the centre of the Fitzroy Gardens is a cottage almost invisible behind its overgrown garden but it is an interesting little house and worth a more careful look. It was designed in 1866 by Francis Maloney White as the gardener’s cottage. Its first occupant was James Sinclair an...

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Joe Pearce - Informant Saw Him Killed

On 17 August 1914 Arthur Mueller ‘Joe’ Pearce enlisted to fight in the Great War. He was the eighth man from Essendon to sign up and the first VFL footballer to volunteer for the war. He had played 152 games for the Melbourne Football Club from 1904-1913, and in a game where play...

The East Melbourne Historical Society has recently nominated Jolimont Station for inclusion on the Heritage Victoria register. The station has been a long overlooked part of our history. It does not appear even on the City of Melbourne's Inventory of Heritage Places. We felt it w...

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Jolimont and Repatriation

By 1917 it was apparent that repatriation services for returning service men and women were inadequate. Soldiers were arriving back in the country in large numbers, most of them damaged by illness or injury. Many of them would not be able to return to their pre-war occupations. T...

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Joyce Meier: Exhibition of Paintings

An exhibiton of paintings by Joyce Meier will be held at the Bridget McDonnell Gallery, 130 Faraday Street, Carlton, from 9 to 30 November.

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Kalingra: a story of firsts

East Melbourne is rightfully known for its Victorian era streetscapes. However, between the wars it went through a period of re-development resulting in a scattering of buildings that are markedly different in style.

Has anyone noticed? Yarra Park has gone the way of James James Morrison's Mother. She has disappeared! One wonders, was it despite or because of repeated warnings from the National Trust (commonly known as Jim) about green wedgies at the end of Town? In any case, Yarra Park donne...

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Marching for Justice

On 15 March this year more than 5,000 people gathered in East Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens, many dressed in black, many carrying banners. They streamed up the steps from Parliament station, alighted from trams which had come from all over the city, and walked with determination f...

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Marvellous Melbourne - Queen City of the South

A documentary film made in 1910 about the City of Melbourne, then the interim capital city of Australia.

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Mary Gilbert: Melbourne's First Mother

There has been much publicity lately about the large imbalance in the numbers of statues of men as opposed to women in Melbourne. A google search puts it at 580 to 10! One of these ten statues is in the Conservatory in the Fitzroy Gardens, hidden away amongst the foliage.