I grew up in 59 Evans Street and was born there in 1921, but five of us were born at 22 Derham Street.. My mother was from Garvoch in the western district and we used to go there for holidays.

I was one of the kids who congregated on the corner of Ross and Farrell Streets. We used to play cricket, cherry bobs and all sorts of games. Even in the 20s and 30s there was not much traffic, not even in Bridge Street. All this area was very self-contained, we had all the facilities. Mrs Baker (corner of Farrell and Ross Street) made the best pies.

I remember that Malcolm Moores was the first factory to be built in Williamstown Road. Behind it there used to be a big two-up school. The bus used to go along past the London Hotel, then on to the Housing Commission houses over the railway line. One of the bus drivers used to say they were all a bloody lot of thieves down there, just like Bagdad, and the name has stuck.

My father started the dairy at 22 Derham Street in 1916. (Sands give it as 1917, their dates are often a year behind) It was the Royal Dairy from then until 1956 when the name was changed to Superior Dairy. In 1956 a new law required all milk to be pasteurised. The old dairy was knocked down and rebuilt.

He was born in North Melbourne and had no formal education. He began work with Morgan's Dairy in Thistlethwaite Street. He slept on a straw bed in the barn there. He began as a very small dairy at 22 Derham Street. People have said to me about him that he never forgot anyone, in the depression there was always milk in the billy. He was very popular in Port Melbourne and when he stood for Council he won. Dad was very keen on sport especially cricket but he never bet on it. Michael senior died in the mid fifties.

After the war I lived with my mother-in-law and four families in Albert Street. In 1947 I moved into the house in Bridge Street. Four of us were in the business, Jack, Stan, Kevin and me. I left about 1965 and later the house was demolished.

I can remember the hobos coming off the Bend, down Bridge Street about 5:00 a.m. on their way to a shop in Bay Street, where the Mobil service station now is, where they used to get Metho. They slept at the tip.

Port did not change much after the war and we still kept our horses on the corner of Williamstown Road and Ingles Street. Those horses always knew what they were doing.

The dairy lasted until 1984 when it was sold to Withers.