WWI Centenary – Page 3 – Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society

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Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society

Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation SocietyPort Melbourne history

The End of the War – Swallow and Ariell

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryNovember 12, 2018

‘On Tuesday morning [12 Nov 1918], before 8 o’clock, the 700 girls and 650 men and lads employed at … Swallow and Ariell assembled at the factory – but not to work’. They cheered the King, the Empire, the Allies, and Australia again and again. They then formed a procession with the company’s motor wagons and led by a car they…

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…

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,…

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…

Nott Street School Honour Roll – Pin List

Home Front Stories, WWI CentenaryApril 25, 2018

Amongst the items discovered in the recess within the Nott Street School “Old Boys” Memorial were two lists of names on loose leaf paper. The first we dubbed the ‘pin list’ because the pages were held together by a small pin. You can see the pin holes in the top left corner of this image. The second list we have called…

Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians