Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society nominated 3 recent projects for the 2007 Victorian Community History Awards. The awards are structured in 6 separate categories each with a winner and a number of short-listed entries which receive a commendation. The major award, transcends the various categories and is awarded separately, not coming from the previously announced winners.

The awards were presented at Queen's Hall, Parliament House on Saturday, 30 June 2007 with the overall award going to Still Going Strong: The story of the Moyarra Honor Roll by Jillian Durance, Moyarra Community Group

The Society won the Best Community Research, Registers and Records category for History of a Street Precinct.

This project was the brainchild of Margaret Bride who secured a grant from the City of Port Phillip Cultural Development Fund to research a relatively small precinct of Port Melbourne bounded by Evans St, Bridge St, Williamstown Rd and Farrell St. The area was of interest because it is relatively intact group of typical 'workers cottages' with a few distingusihing characteristics such as two large Victorian 2-storey houses in Evans St, a former church and had been the location of two local dairies. There were also a number of long-term residents who could provide details of the area and some high profile former residents such as former Town Clerk Sydney S Anderson and Councillors James P Crichton and Phillip M Salmon to name just a few.

Margaret and Graham Bride researched the residents and owners of the houses in the precinct using Sands and McDougall's and Council rate books. They also conducted interviews and collected historic photos relating to the precinct. Students from Albert Park Secondary College photographed the buildings in the precinct as did David Thompson. David also programmed the CD-ROM which was one of the major outcomes from the project. Pat Grainger designed a fold-out map which illustrated some of the highlights of the precinct. The CD-ROM and map were launched at a 'street party' in the railway reserve beside Evans St.

The Society also recieved a Commendation in the Best Exhibit / Display category for the Women of Port Melbourne project.

Women of Port grew out of an earlier research paper by Robyn Clinch and under the guidance of the steering committee consisting of Elizabeth Buckle, Maree Chalmers, Pat Grainger and Natica Schmeder brought together the stories of over 30 Port Melbourne women.

The women were arbitarily selected from all those who had been connected with the Borough and their selection was not an intention to suggest that these women were especially noteworthy, except through the assumption that every women is noteworthy in her own way.

The women's stories were told by volunteers who offered to research and write about them. These stories were reproduced in the guide to the exhibition which was displayed to much acclaim in the Port Mebourne Library during the last two weeks of October 2005.

The category was won by Jazz Spans the Decades – A History of Jazz in Victoria by the Victorian Jazz Archive.

Winners - 2007 Victorian Community History Awards

Overall winner
Still Going Strong: The story of the Moyarra Honor Roll by Jillian Durance, Moyarra Community Group

Best Collaborative / Community Work
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MELBOURNE edited by Andrew Brown-May and Shurlee Swain

Best Audio-Visual / Multimedia
FROM GOLD TO GRAPES: THE STORY OF LANDSBOROUGH by Landsborough Festivals Inc.

Best Print / Publication
ABORIGINAL VICTORIANS: A History Since 1800 by Richard Broome

Best Exhibit / Display
Jazz Spans the Decades – A History of Jazz in Victoria by Victorian Jazz Archive Inc.

Best Walk / Tour
FOOTSCRAY TRAIL: a guided walk through the historic central business district by Ruth Gallant, Footscray Reference Group & Maribyrnong City Council

Best Community Research, Registers and Records
History of a Street Precinct by Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society

For more information visit Information Victoria