Mr Webster’s Brother

Margaret Bride writes

Our house in Evans Street was built by John Webster in 1886. He and his wife Mary lived there until his death in 1916. John Webster was a carpenter, working on the docks and at sea.

This is a photo of his younger brother whose name we do not know. He was a friend of Emily Lock’s brother and Emily, a long time resident of Farrell Street, who gave us this photo in 2005.

The very anonymity of this young man represents for me the thousands of people who have lived in Port Melbourne and contributed to the colourful patchwork of its history, but who are totally unknown to anyone living here now.

Many of them, like this young man, were boarders with family, friends or in boarding houses, perhaps they only lived here for a very short time.

Even though we do not know them by name we honour them and their lives.