Despite an existing shortage of accommodation, three wards of the Austin Hospital for Incurables were combined on 5 September, 1917 into what became known as the Military Ward (later No. 12 Ward) specifically for the treatment of tuberculosis patients, the effects of which were exacerbated by the influenza epidemic of 1918-19. The Ward appears to […]
Author: ozsportshistory
Brian Membrey ; Local historian for Darebin area and sports of all sorts
Whittlesea’s Great War (L to Z)
(See also A – K) The two entries comprise a list of all known volunteers for World War One service from the Shire of Whittlesea (as per 1918 boundaries) compiled from local newspaper reports, honour boards erected around the district and an exhaustive search of records held in National Archives and the Australian War Memorial. […]
Whittlesea’s Great War (A to K)
(See also L to Z) These two entries comprise a list of all known volunteers for World War One service from the Shire of Whittlesea (as per 1918 boundaries) compiled from local newspaper reports, honour boards erected around the district and an exhaustive search of records held in National Archives and the Australian War Memorial. […]
The Mont Park Asylum
Lands at Mont Park were first considered for an asylum site in 1906 when the members of the Cabinet under the State Premier Mr Bent (later Sir Thomas Bent) and the Inspector-General for the Insane, Dr. Ernest Jones inspected 214 acres of land including the area known as Sugarloaf Hill. It was noted as conveniently located […]
The Queen’s Memorial Infectious Diseases Hospital
What we know as the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital was also used by the A.I.F. during the latter years of the First World War and while the appellation was rarely used, it was officially No. 5 Infectious Diseases Hospital. What is not clear is when the A.I.F. started to use the hospital and just what […]
Warringal Cemetery : At War
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records list seventeen First World War servicemen that were interred in the Warringal (or Heidelberg) Cemetery. With just two exceptions of men who died in camp, all died in 1919 or later and after returning from the Western Front – the lateness of the deaths coincided with the establishment of a […]
Circle Theatre
The Circle Theatre at 499 High Street was one of several cinemas which opened in Preston during the movie boom time from the late 1930s, its art deco style and was one of the more unique designs, advertisements boasting that there was not a right angle to be seen anywhere in the interior. The building […]
Rivoli Theatre
The only theatre building remaining in Preston is the Rivoli at 71-75 Gilbert Road (on the corner of Oakover Road). The Rivoli was opened on 16 November, 1935 at a gathering of 150 people by the Mayor of Preston, Cr. Harry Swain, built by Preston Theatres Pty. Ltd. and leased to Messrs King, Guest and […]
The Planet Theatre
The Planet Theatre on the corner on High and Miller Streets opened on 30 March, 1939, again under the management of W. H. Edmonds and as part of the Star Theatre Company. The architect was Mr. R. Le-Poer Terry and the builder Geo. Prentice Pty. Ltd., the theatre featuring “Dunlopillo” seats, deaf aids in both the […]
Gowerville Theatre (later Melody Theatre)
The Gowerville Theatre at 175-77 Plenty Road just south of Bell Street opened on 5 June, 1926 to seemingly provide some competition for the Star on the corner of High and Gower streets; in reality, the backers were the same group that built the Star. The theatre at that time provided seating for around 970 […]