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
‘Better to have a loaf on the table than a loaf in the Pub’
The Band of Hope was formed in England in 1847, with a more formal organisation set up in 1855. It was seen by many as a way to develop self-reliance in working men who could use temperance as a means to self-improvement by renouncing alcohol. It was a non-denominational movement, with branches set up by both Protestant and Catholic communities.
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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. Architect Nahum Barnet supplied drawings without charge, which were based on one of the London shelt
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The Early Days of Women's Cricket
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Ormiston Educational Establishment for Young Ladies
East Melbourne from its earliest days was full of schools. The larger, purpose-built church schools eventually grew too big for the small parcels of land available and moved to more spacious suburbs; and the smaller privately run schools generally died a natural death when their principals retired or failed to make a go of it.
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Remembering Joyeux
366 Albert St., East Melbourne, lies on the north side of the street between Lansdowne and Clarendon Streets. The house was built in 1909 for the Rev. Llewelyn David Bevan on the land which had once been the garden of the neighbouring house, No 364, which Bevan also owned. The house is built to the footpath, unusual for its time and the East Melbourne area.
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Recent acquisitions
East Melbourne, Clarendon Street 200, Rosebank
Black and white photo of Rosebank, 200 Clarendon Street, East Melbourne. It shows a two-storey, double fronted house with cast iron verandah and balcony. Downstairs the front door is flanked by bay windows, while upstairs there are three tri-partite windows.
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Magnolia Court - brochure
Brochure advertising Magnolia Court as boutique hotel, c.2000. The property has a long history as a guesthouse/private hotel and is noted as a place where visiting stage performers would stay. Since then it has become run down. A planning permit for an upgrade has been granted, however work has not started and the property is on the market.
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Anzac Day 1970. Roy Brockfield leads Metropolitan Fire Brigade contingent
Roy Brockfield is seen leading the Metropolitan Fire Brigade contingent at the Anzac Day parade in 1970. He was chosen to lead as he was by then the only surviving WWI veteran in the MFB. Brockfield worked at the Eastern Hill Fire Station for 45 years, many of them as foreman of the workshops.
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Firefighter's funeral 1968
On the 2 March 1968 a grass fire broke out in Alphington, near Melbourne. Two fireman, Sub-Station Officer Gordon Bruce Adams, and Senior Fireman Eric Jamieson, suffered severe burns. Both later died in hospital. Jamieson on 3 March and Adams on 23 March.
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Forthcoming activities
A Fresh Look at The Johnston Collection
Dr Louise Voll Box was appointed as CEO of The Johnston Collection in July 2023. The previous
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