Welcome
Welcome to the East Melbourne Historical Society.
East Melbourne is a tiny suburb adjoining the city of Melbourne bounded by Treasury and Fitzroy Gardens to the west, Victoria Parade to the north, Hoddle Street to the east and Yarra Park to the south, home of the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground. East Melbourne was included in Robert Hoddle's original 1837 plan for the city but the first private house was not built until 1853. The suburb today reflects a history of Victoria with its beautiful gardens, grand houses of the gold rush era and workmen's cottages. Cast iron lacework adorns the houses, bluestone cobbled lanes lead to old coach houses and brick dunnies. Artists, scientists, politicians, judges, educators, priests, explorers, entrepreneurs, courtesans, philanthropists and social activists lived here and many a tale is told of characters wild and exotic.
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Recent articles
Dr Bertram Wainer and the Struggle for the Right to Abortion
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.
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Oscar Oeser - Man of Mystery
In 1946 Oscar Oeser, like many men who had fought in World War 11, migrated to Australia. His arrival had already been announced in an ‘Age’ article of 24 November 1945.
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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 have come out of this research, and one such story is that of George Page Cooper.
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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.
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Salad Days
In the Victorian era when architectural style leaned heavily towards the Italianate one East Melbourne house stood out.
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Forthcoming activities
The Men Who Went to War
In 2014, Major-General Mike O’Brien gave us a list of men with a connection to East Melbourne who had volunteered for the 1st World War.
As a result of enthusiastic volunteers, we now have an archive of around 600 war records. some of which we would like to share with you at our April meeting.
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Recent acquisitions
East Melbourne, Grey Street 129, Ormiston
Black and white photo of a large Victorian era house with elaborate timber verandah and balcony.
At the time the photo was taken the house was the home of Ormiston Ladies College. Students and teachers are gathered on the verandah and balcony.
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Kiosk Refreshment Rooms c.1910
Postcard. Colour print. Printed in Melbourne by F.W.N. & Co. (Francis Wilson Niven)
The image shows the old kiosk in the Fitzroy Gardens as it appeared when first built. A history of the building can be found using the link below. It was demolished in 1963 to make way for the current building known as The Pavillion.
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Spring Street, Melbourne, c.1900
Postcard. Colour print. The reverse is undivided. Division creating space for a message and another for the address first appeared in 1905.
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Aerial Photograph of Yarra Park and MCG 1928
Aerial Photo of Yarra Park and MCG looking west from a point above Punt Road Oval. Taken in 1928 by Charles Daniel Pratt.
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