David Thompson – Page 6 – Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society

The End of the War – Hostilities Cease

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryNovember 11, 2018

About 7.30pm on Monday 11 Nov 1918, around the time the Bay steamers were returning from their day’s excursion, the news that Germany had signed the armistice reached the port. Suddenly a 'powerful whistle on the Port Melbourne shore echoed across the Bay'1 and for the next half hour the Bayside resounded to the grand chorus of sirens and ship’s whistles.…

Remembrance Garden

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryNovember 10, 2018

Remembrance Garden Opening, 10 November 2018. Photo by Nick Capes. On Saturday 10th November, 2018, Port Phillip Mayor, Cr Bernadene Voss, officiated at the opening of the Remembrance Garden at the corner of Station & Raglan Streets, Port Melbourne. She described the newly planted garden nestled under and beside the huge Peppercorn trees as a garden for the people, by the people'. In this spirit…

Anzac Reception Committee

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryNovember 9, 2018

Barely a week after the home leave for the original Anzacs had been announced, the Minister for Defence, Senator Pearce sanctioned the appointment of a special committee to take charge of arrangements for a fitting welcome for the returning men.1 Local authorities were encouraged to make their own local arrangements and Mrs Suffolk, Honorary Secretary of the Port Melbourne Women’s Welcome…

WWC Band Rotunda

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryOctober 27, 2018

WWC Band Rotunda. Photo by David Thompson. At the meeting of the Women's Welcome Committee (WWC) held on Thursday 31 January 1918, Mrs E F Russell reminded the group of an intention raised some time ago to erect a monument on Sinclair Parade to commemorate the memory of fallen soldiers and the work of the committee. She suggested a band rotunda and…

Leave for the 1914 Men

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenarySeptember 17, 2018

“I will have a trip before long, as all the 1914 men are to be given six months’ furlough to Australia. A few are to go each month – married men first.”1 The Age newspaper of 13 May 1918 carried this extract from a letter received by residents of the Chiltern area from a soldier at the front. The item goes…

A Picture Show – 26 July 1918

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryJuly 26, 2018

A short article and a notice in the Standard newspaper on 20 July 1918 alerting readers to the latest efforts, a picture show, by Nott Street School to raise money in aid of the patriotic funds. The article notes the school had already raised over £300. The picture show was held on Friday afternoon, 26 July at Port Melbourne Town Hall…

Meeting – Mon 23 July at 730pm

MeetingsJuly 6, 2018

The July meeting of the Society will be a members participation night. Three Society members who have very long family connections to Port Melbourne will present material about their family histories. After each short presentation the audience will have the opportunity to comment and contribute from their own family stories. Glen Cosham, long time member of our Society, former President and…

Grant (Perazzo) – Brown Scandal

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryJune 30, 2018

It is unusual for the pages of the Truth; newspaper to be referenced in a soldier’s war record but such is the case with James Alexander Grant. James Grant, 29, enlisted on 31 January 1916 listing his wife Rosabella, known as Bella, as next of kin. Sadly, James was Killed in Action on 3 May 1917 at Bullecourt, France although Bella,…

Monday – 25 June 2018 at 7.30pm

MeetingsJune 8, 2018

Convict hulk 'Success' at Williamstown C. 1890-1900. Photographers Webb & Webb. Courtesy State Library of Victoria Geoff Dougall and Alf Pelns will speak on the subject of prison hulks at our June meeting at Port Melbourne Town Hall. Geoff Dougall By the middle of the 19th century the exisiting prison facilities in Victoria were overcrowded so the Government turned to the use of…

The Flu Epidemic of 1919

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryMay 11, 2018

In May 1918, reports of a mysterious and deadly disease ravaging Europe began to reach Australia, causing concern amongst those who had family members involved in the war in Europe. By July, England was affected, and Australian newspapers and letters from soldiers kept the Australian public informed. Dubbed the ‘Spanish Flu’, it was a variant of swine flu, highly contagious and…

Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians