Anglican Parish of Collingwood History 8a

From the Town Hall in 1985, looking North. The area known as Abbotsford is to the right of Hoddle Street, Collingwood to the left.
Click on this image to see the same view in 1887(36K).

In the foreground St Philip's rectory still stands, surrounded by a few more trees from the parkland which was the site of St Philip's church until 1969. The Sunday School with the square tower has gone. This photo must have been taken after the fire which destroyed it in 1984. The area it occupied is now vacant land, and will be the site of the new St Philip's worship centre.

The area with the large roof behind the rectory still stands . It was built in the 1930's as a kindergarten. After the fire it became the worship centre as well. The kindergarten closed in 1994, but this building continues in use as a worship centre, hall and ancillary buildings.

Hoddle Street has been widened on the Collingwood side, and an overpass to the large high-rise flats now carries pedestrian traffic over the busiest street in the area.

The Epping and Hurstbridge railway line can be seen running out of the right hand side of the picture parallel with Hoddle Street as it wends its way north to Clifton Hill, and then divides: north to Epping, or north-east to Hurstbridge at the foot of the Dandenong Ranges.

This photo reveals many factories where there were, one hundred years earlier, homes and backyards. Many of these factories have now closed and are once again being reconverted to houses and small business.

The photo also clearly shows the circular grandstands of Victoria Park in the top right - the home of the agony and ecstasy of the Mighty Magpies, the black and white mascot of the Collingwood Football Club. But now the Collingwood Football Club has moved to the privately owned Docklands Stadium, several kilometres west, on the other side of Melbourne. It is a sad sign of the times.