Growing up in Port Melbourne – Community

A community is built up through shared experiences, during these twenty years there were various experiences that led to Port Melbourne becoming the close knit community that people often describe. There were also places where people gathered in good times and bad, particularly the pubs and churches.

There were still many small corner pubs, although it was never true that there was a pub on every corner.

As well as being places of worship, the local churches all ran various social and sporting activities. One of the busiest was the Graham Street Methodist Church, demolished and replaced by a block of apartments.

St Joseph’s Catholic Church had several football teams which were highly successful.

Special community events were organised locally. In addition to the annual community picnics referred to on the panel, there was other events such as the Back to Port Melbourne festivities in 1932. 

The Great Depression of the 1930s was a time when the community of Port Melbourne came together to help each other survive. In addition to the lunches for school children provided at Holy Trinity Church there was a food bank opened in the Excelsior Hall in Bridge Street run by the Dot and Tom Hills of the Unemployed Workers Union. 

Local businesses donated food, Tom, Dot and their helpers organised and distributed it to needy people.