People – Page 11 – Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society

Leonard Storey of ‘The Beach’

People, Port Melbourne HistoryAugust 3, 2017

W.F.E. Liardet Surveyor Darke's camp, Sandridge State Library of Victoria Leonard Storey was an interesting character, not so much for what we know of his life, but for what we don’t know. This enlivens our imagination into contemplating just where he originally came from and where he disappeared to. His known history spans just four years, from 1837 to 1841. His…

Mr Webster’s Brother

People, Port Melbourne HistoryJune 29, 2017

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…

William Cann’s Kitchen

People, Port Melbourne HistoryJune 8, 2017

William Cann (centre) with his soldier son Harry sitting to his right c 1915-19. Courtesy Geoff Lister. Feeding the hungry children of Nott Street School in the 1930’s was a far cry from William Cann’s former life as a British soldier who had served in both the Zulu and Boer Wars. However, he did know what it was like to be…

Allan Whittaker Commemoration 2016

People, Port Melbourne HistoryNovember 2, 2016

Legacy of 1928 On a (rare) sunny evening, former Supreme Court judge Frank Vincent offered these reflections on the legacy of 1928 at the Allan Whittaker commemoration held on Princes Pier on Friday 28 October. He spoke without notes. "The question I was going to pose is 'What is the thread that joins Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Pauline Hanson and Boris Johnson?' And…

My Mum, Joan Dawson

People, Port Melbourne HistorySeptember 22, 2016

Joan Dawson with her Graham Street School Grade Prep class, 1939. Young Teacher Graham Street Port Melbourne 1939 My mum was just 18 when she began to teach this class at the Graham Street School. She lived nearby at 174 Buckhurst Street. Her father was a carter and they lived in a double fronted timber home with stables at the back where…

Aanensen Family Portrait

People, Port Melbourne HistoryAugust 25, 2016

Aanensen Family Portrait taken in early 1904. Rear (L-R) Alfred Adolf (b 1890), Stanley George (b 1888), Marie Louisa (b 1893) Middle (L-R) Albert Edward (b 1901) (being held), Bernt Andreas (b 1865) (father), Andreas Thomas (b 1903) (being held), Edith Ann (b 1867) (mother); Front (L-R) Aanen Harold (b 1897), Victor Bernt (b 1895), William Ernst (b 1899). The photo predates the birth of…

George Samuel Walter Memorial Garden after refurbishment, 29 March 2016.

George Samuel Walter Memorial Garden, 2016

People, Places, Port Melbourne HistoryJuly 28, 2016

At our July meeting we presented the entries to the My Port Melbourne photograph competition, announced the winners and made our selection for the People's Choice Award. Christine Griffith's entry, "George Samuel Walter Memorial Garden, 2016", was judged the overall winner. In the coming months we'll be presenting several entries on this website but it's only fitting that we start with the…

Well Represented at the Front

People, Port Melbourne HistoryJuly 21, 2016

'Well Represented at Front.', Port Melbourne Standard 15 May 1915 Our First World War Centenary project has uncovered many incredible stories of Port men volunteering for active service such as this one from The Standard newspaper on 15 May 1915. The first part of the article talks about four cousins, all born in Port Melbourne, who were serving at the Front.…

Mr Todd

People, Port Melbourne HistoryJuly 5, 2016

One of my favourite words is accrete – the way things gather together to create something bigger – the way the beach grows as sand drifts in a particular direction. And that's what I love about local history. You start with a fragment, and then other fragments emerge and seem magnetically drawn to it. A picture emerges. So it was with one…

The Man in the Photo

People, Port Melbourne HistoryJune 6, 2016

Members of the Port Phillip Stevedores Association, 1905 Recently I spoke at a seminar at the Victorian Genealogical Society on the topic “Port Melbourne 1839-1880". As I wanted to mention the formation of trade unions in Port Melbourne I showed this photo of ‘Members of the Port Phillip Stevedores Association’ from 1905. You will notice that all of the men in the…

Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians