The following article was contributed following the first reminiscences session held at Watsonia library April 2008. It is John’s reminiscences about growing up in Preston.
John was born at the Bethesda Hospital in Richmond, 17.12.1936. His family took him home to 15 Dean St, East Preston.
John has memories of living in Dean St from about the age of six.. “ I had friends by the names of Warwick Jackson, Mervyn Rees and Faye Oliver and the 2 Jones boys, Trevor and Murray. Along with a few others we would play cricket and footy out in the street – not too many cars in those days. Near the East Preston State School, 5 minutes from our place. I’d leave home at 5 to, and be in the quadrangle by 9 o’clock.
I got my first horse when I was 9 and we used to ride all over where Northland is now, right through as far as Watsonia railway line. There were 1 or 2 houses along the way but they only had horse buggy tracks into them. To get across Darebin Creek at Wood St we added boulders to 2 big pipes and flattened them to get across. There was a farmer named Teeney who had cows wandering where Northland is up as far as Tyler St.”
I am the current owner of this property so it was wonderful to hear some of the history of the property and surrounding area.