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Newsletter No. 155 January 2009

 

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: Footscray Historical Society Inc.

No. 155 January 2009 Registered Publication No. A0031834F

All correspondence: Secretary, PO Box 6371, Footscray West 3012 Newsletter Editor: Linda Longley Society web address: http://www.vicnet.net.au/~foothist Society images : http://www.pictures.libraries.vic.gov.au Society email address: foothist@bigpond.com Ph: (03) 9689 3820 Headquarters: "Ercildoune" cnr Napier and Hyde Streets, Footscray No. 155 January 2009 Reminder: Annual Membership for the year 2009 is now due. Please forward your payments to the Society immediately. Receipts for members who paid at the AGM will be enclosed with this newsletter. FEBRUARY MEETING The next Quarterly Meeting of the Society will be held at Ercildoune in Hyde Street at 2.00 pm on Sunday, February 15th. NEWS FROM 'ERCILDOUNE' For your diary the Quarterly meetings for 2009 are as follows: 15th February 17th May 16th August 18th November - AGM All with exception for the AGM will be held at 2.00pm on Sundays at Ercildoune. The name of the speaker for the meeting of 15th February at Ercildoune has not been confirmed as yet but it will be an afternoon of great interest with the opportunity for participation in a research project related to our local history. If that has not stirred a feeling of anticipation, consider also - 'Have you read any good books lately?' The last AGM was held on Wednesday, the 19th November with the members treated to an excellent account of the Hooper and Taylor families presented by Derek Hooper a descendent of John Hooper. He told the stories of the Hooper workrooms and emporiums and of the Taylor stoneworks. His notes have been lodged with the society and we expect, in due course, to receive his full history of the families. Recent Acquisitions: At the AGM, members learned of the transfer of Tyra and Bruce Johnson from their Independent Living Unit at Westhaven to more intensive care. As a result of this move, Greg, their son, brought to Ercildoune a box full of interesting books, documents etc. We thank Bruce and Tyra for ensuring that valuable books and papers are conserved. The extra copies of some books helps us as we increasingly find that people are seated in the various rooms of Ercildoune and sometimes wanting to use the same books. Another gift arrived with no sender's name. It was a set of photographs which recorded the visit of HRH Prince Charles and Princess Diana to the Footscray Park in 1987. Included in those present were Essie Burbridge and a very young Bruce Mildenhall. David Lyons has given us a copy of Those Boy Scouts - A Story of Scouting in Victoria by A R Milne & C B Heward. This year is the centenary of scouting in Footscray and plans are underway for great celebrations. You will hear more later of the events and of our place in them. In the meantime, any past cubs or scouts should be getting ready to participate in what likes and exciting year.   ORIGIN OF STREET NAMES - HOPKINS & DROOP STREET From: Footscray's First fifty years, Footscray J. Jamieson, "The Advertiser" Office, 1909, p.143 "Ex-Councillor Edward Hopkins, now deceased, was one of Footscray's progressive men in earlier years, and he it was who erected in the district such fine samples of substantial stone buildings as the Town Hall, the Royal Buildings, the Presbyterian Church (contract £2,742), the Catholic Church and the early St. John's Church, Cowper street. He was elected a councillor in 1865 and Mayor in 1872 while he played a large part in securing the land to permit of the continuation of Hopkins street - named in his honour- through the Roman Catholic reserve to the river." From: John Lack, History of Footscray, North Melbourne Hargreen Publishing in conjunction with the City of Footscray, 1991, p. 112. "Early in 1878 John F. Droop, owner of Footscray's most substantial pub at the corner of Droop and Barkly streets, put in train the Royal Assembly Hall. When completed, his two-storey pub and hall stretched west some 200 feet from the intersection. He built two shops facing Barkly Street, with a hall entrance between and a lecture room above. A fire bell tower and flag pole for signaling the arrival of the mail surmounted the whole. The main hall (of pitch pine, but flat, for dancing) looked on to a properly equipped stage, and was overlooked by a gallery. The whole was lit by a central sunlight with twenty-four jets, side lights with ornate bronze brackets and balcony illuminants. A bust of Queen Victoria stared from the proscenium, and Shakespeare and Milton kept an eye out from vantage points over the stage doors. `A gem of the first water', the Royal Hall (as it became known) could seat between six and seven hundred. The front stalls were occupied by 120 cane armchairs, and the rear by wooden seats (with backs, mind you). The Hall was opened in June 1878 with a ball to raise funds for the Ladies' Benevolent Society. One hundred and seventy couples waltzed to the strains of Chapman's band, and sat to supper in relays. Contractor David Newell was now Mayor. He thanked Mr Droop for his public spirit, and congratulated him on his enterprise."   THE HISTORY OF IRVING STREET, FOOTSCRAY Irving Street extends now from Hopkins Street in the north-east in a curve to Albert Street. Originally it ran to Nicholson Street with a pedestrian laneway from Nicholson Street to Albert street along the railway line. This laneway, Irving Place, was lined with a row of shops which were demolished along with the shops facing on to Nicholson Street in 1974-5 when Irving Street was extended to Albert Street as part of the development of the Ring Road and the making of a pedestrian mall in Nicholson Street from Irving Street to Barkly/Hopkins Streets. Joseph Irving, who came with his wife from Cumberland, England in the 1850s, was the first Borough Clerk of Footscray. He is credited with suggesting the names of such early streets as Droop and Barkly and to have given his own name to Irving Street. The earliest valuation books held by the Footscray Historical Society Inc (1882-1883) show five rateable properties in Irving Street on the north side with only two of these occupied by houses. In 1884 there were three weatherboard houses housing 5-8 people on the north side of the street. By 1901-2 there were 14 families listed as living in either wood or brick houses. Some of these people were tenants, and, by the nature of their listed occupations, may have been in business there. In 1905 there were still a number of vacant listings but business had taken over the area by 1910 and included in the occupants was a skating rink. All these were on the north side of the street. Also in 1910 Irving Place had a number of shops with two of the occupants listed as a costumiere and a plumber. In 1915 T H Launder had moved his furniture shop from Nicholson Street to Irving Street. Next door to him, where the skating rink had been, there was a hall which had briefly housed the Westopia Cinema, then the Victor Theatre. The Victor Theatre was soon converted to the Victor Dance Hall, which, in later years, was linked to the Orama Ballroom which faced Hopkins Street. This complex allowed the use of the Victor Hall as a supper-room for balls held in the Orama or for the use of the two halls for different types of dancing - Modern Dance in the Orama and Old-time Dancing in the Victor. Dancers could move from one hall to the other during the evening. These buildings were all demolished to make way for the Footscray Market. The section between Leeds Street and the laneway (named Trugo Lane in recent years) was occupied by houses and several shops until the present car park was made. These were probably the houses listed in the valuation books in the early years of the 20C. The south side of Irving Street remained largely undeveloped until later in the 20th century apart from the entrance to the railway station. In the book, Footscray's First Fifty Years, C Farnbach has an advertisement for his business on the corner of Irving Street and the station approach. This became Farnbach Burnham which has now moved slightly to the west. On the corner opposite, in 1909, Ben White conducted his business as Hairdresser, Tobacconist and Confectioner. The remainder of the south side of the street was occupied through the earlier part of the 20th century by woodyards. In the 1930s, Joe and Ike Walker had a woodyard in Irving Street between the station and Nicholson Street. At this time Dickie Fidler conducted a milk bar where Ben White had previously traded. In the 1940s Hutson & Smith kept a woodyard at 25 Irving Street with the plant nursery of Mr McMahon next on the east near the station entrance. Catherine Reichert Two views of Irving Street Late 1940s- Hutson & Smith Woodyard, 25 Irving Street. The woodyard was beside the station in Irving Street where the carpark now stands. Notice T.H. Launders Store to right, which is now the site of the Footscray Markets. Corner of Irving and Leeds streets looking north west. The entrance to the station was diagonally opposite. NEWS FROM THE PAST From: The Footscray Advertiser, 1916. The Imperial - Footscray's New Emporium [Ed: Still there on the corner of Geelong Road and Barkly Streets] "When the big building known for several years as Green's Timber Yard was erected on what was then the extreme edge of Footscray, people said - What can Green be thinking of to build out there? Since then Footscray has reached and passed the so-called "folly", and the builder was justified. Under supervision of Mr. Claude Smith as architect, a wonderful transformation has been made at Green's Corner. Modern shop windows to the extent of 300 feet have been put in on the Barkly street and Geelong road frontage under cantilever verandahs, an extra story has been added in Barkly street, and the corner itself is being remodelled to a design that includes a public clock and a rotunda, this last to carry on the old tradition of holding electoral meetings at "Green's Corner". The municipal orator will now be able to address the free and independent elector from a cupola-crowned rostrum 12 feet over the heads of his hearers. Inside the transformation is even greater. The whole of the floor space, made by going 150 feet up each of the converging streets, has been turned into an up-to-date store, where everything for the display of modern shop commodities has been provided. The lighting alone of the Imperial Art Arcade runs to 60,000 candle power and a cost of £500. The actual corner forms an open showroom for electroplate and fancy goods in glass-topped stands. Behind an ornamental grille counters and shelves run around the main floor space. From the centre a fine jarrah staircase leads to the showrooms above. The centre space is occupied by the firm's offices, built as are most of the internal fittings, of Australian hardwood, machined in Green's own works. A pneumatic cash installation to the various selling counters is a noticeable feature, the only one upon this side of Melbourne. In this fine building Messrs. Green are carrying an immense stock of newly-purchased goods, in variety such as the west end has never dreamt of and Footscray proper hardly equalled. In addition to their vast stocks of timber, plumbers and furniturers' ironmongery, the firm is now specialising in mantel-pieces, doors, etc., made in their own saw and joinery mills. The building in 2004 (Photograph F. White, 2004)

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