Preston’s first picture venue, the Star Theatre on the south-eastern corner of High and Gower Streets opened on September 28, 1922, the evening of the Show Day holiday. The audience was entertained by one of the cinema swashbuckling sensations of the day, “The Mark of Zorro” starring Douglas Fairbanks, Marguerite De Le Motte and Noah […]
Edwin Bastings
In 1849 Edwin and Horace Bastings arrived in Victoria from London. They possibly sought their fortune in the goldfields before establishing themselves in Northcote in 1850. They built two buildings in the small township, a two storey blue stone general store and a hotel across the road. Edwin established the general store and soon added […]
German Cemetery
The Northcote German Cemetery was established in 1861 when four local German farmers, August Schwaebesh, Albert Fritsche, Moritz Heiner and Edward Hellwig jointly purchased one acre of land in Northcote to establish a cemetery for the German settlers in the area. There had been a strong German presence in Northcote during the 1860s, centered on […]
Lost hotels in Darebin
The first hotel appeared in Darebin in 1844 when Robert Duff opened the Pilgrim Inn on High Street in Thornbury. Over the next two decades a number of new hotels opened their doors. Most proved successful and some are still operating to this day, however some have vanished from memory. These are their stories. The […]
Alphington Hotel
In 1861 Thomas Freeman opened a coaching inn on the west side of Heidelberg Road in Alphington. The hotel served travellers moving to and from the Plenty Valley and was one of several hotels in very close proximity. In 1864 35 year old Joseph Foulkes arrived at Alphington Hotel as the new publican, bring his […]
Chinese Settlement in Darebin
By Arthur B.W. Yong, B App Sc JP In 2003, Arthur B.W. Yong coordinated and edited a book for the North Eastern Melbourne Chinese Association (NEMCA) on Chinese settlement in Darebin. First published in July 2003, ‘Chinese Settlement in the City of Darebin’, records the experiences of Australians of Chinese descent. They live, work and […]
Farmers Arms Hotel
The following article is reproduced by permission of Noel Withers and extracted from “Banyule City Council Spring Outdoors Programme 2008: Greensborough & the Plenty River Pioneer Trail With Dennis Ward & Noel Withers. A ramble from the lower part of town and along the river bank learning about historic sites and the pioneering families that […]
Epping District Roads Board
Local government in Darebin can trace its roots back to 1841 and the establishment of the District Council of the County of Bourke. Drawing its members from prominent local landowners, it included Thomas Wills, Alexander McCrae and Major G.F. St. John. The District Council was an advisory body, reporting to the Superintendent of Victoria on […]
Belmont Hotel (c1859-1990s)
The Belmont Hotel first opened in the rural community of Thomastown around 1859. At first it catered mainly for locals and passing trade but between 1865 and 1867 it became the headquarters for the Epping District Roads Board. The Epping District Roads Board was one of the earliest forms of local government in Victoria and […]
Greensborough Tea Rooms
This weatherboard building opposite St Helena Road is the former Greensborough Tea Rooms or Lobb’s Tea Rooms built in the 1920s. During World War 2 air raid wardens were trained here, it was also used by the peace corp. Later, in the 1960s, due to its proximity to the Sports oval, the building was used […]