The COVID-19 virus pandemic has been likened by our political leaders to a war like situation. We have been directed to ‘stay at home’ and practice social isolation in order to stop the spread of the virus. Many businesses have been ordered to close and many people are working from home. Our streets are quiet […]
Category: Darebin
At Last … an Overpass!
In 1928, increasing delays to traffic traveling to and from the city to Northcote and Preston and points further north via Queen’s Parade and High Street were alleviated when the level crossing just on the south side of the Merri Creek was replaced by an overhead railway bridge (pictured below). The original plan was for […]
Larundel – Mental Institution or Women’s Auxiliary Air Force?
Most conversant with the districts covered by WikiNorthia will be vaguely conscious of Larundel and its many decades as a mental institution, but few will be aware that it took eleven years from plans being announced to it operating in its proposed role. Approval was given in January, 1938 for a new mental hospital at […]
My Scout Stave
I was a member of the 6th Preston Salvation Army Scouts in Gower Street, Preston. I started as a cub in the S.A. saving section before the affiliation with the Boy Scout Association in the 1940’s. I went through the cub, scout and senior sections and became scoutmaster at age 18 years. In 1957 I […]
The Pender’s Grove Racecourse
Michael Pender was one of the original purchasers of land at the Government sales in 1839 of what was to become the section of Northcote north of Beaver’s Road (south to Westgarth Street sold the following year, the elevated section bringing more than twice the price per acre). Pender paid 27/- per acre for his […]
Exhibition Boot Company, Westgarth
Exhibition Boot Co History P Michell, 2019 Now somewhat forgotten, for some fifteen years arguably it was Northcote’s second largest employer. From 1902 to 1916 the Exhibition Boot Co occupied a factory between the former Northcote South Railway station and Ross St. At its peak it was employing some 160 people. Ion addition to manufacturing […]
What’s In A Name : Preston (or Irishtown?)
The Preston area from today’s Dundas Street north to the borders of today’s City of Whittlesea was divided by the New South Wales Government into 12 estates ranging from 312 to 1065 acres and sold at auctions on 12 September, 1838, and 1 August and 3 October, 1839, bringing prices ranging between 8/3d (83 cents) […]
The White Family of Northcote : At War
The First World War provides us with many rich and varied stories, but rarely do these little scenarios spread across three conflicts. For the White family of Northcote, the curtain opens with an article in the Northcote Leader, 18 August, 1900 : “My husband is out on active service in South Africa and I won’t […]
Georgio De Nola – Merri Creek at Reservoir
Friends of Merri Creek have been conducting oral history interviews with residents who have lived on the Creek before 1970. The interviews form the Merri Creek Oral History Project. This is an interview with Giorgio De Nola , who lived near the Merri Creek in Anstey Avenue Reservoir in his youth. The interviewer is Ruth Shiel […]
Bill Berry – Merri Creek at Thornbury
Friends of Merri Creek have been conducting oral history interviews with residents who have lived on the Creek before 1970. The interviews form the Merri Creek Oral History Project. This is an interview with Bill Berry who lived in Lewis Street Thornbury as a boy. The interviewer is Des Shiel. The date is 5 February 2013. […]