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Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne
Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

The Gasometer Explodes

Port Melbourne HistoryOctober 30, 2020
by Marlene Hegarty McPherson At 10.30 AM on Easter Sunday 4th April 1920 the gasometer on the corner of Pickles Street and Graham Street Port Melbourne burst into flames. The flames were estimated at 130 ft (40 meters) high and 130ft (40 meters) in diameter. The heat was so intense it scorched buildings and people in the area, as iron pellets…

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Marshall & Co, Boot Manufacturers

Port Melbourne HistorySeptember 18, 2020
At about half past 6 o'clock yesterday evening a fire broke out in Marshall's Boot Factory, in Nott Street, Port Melbourne, and in less than two hours, destroyed the whole of the building and a large quantity of stock, the whole valued about £10,000. The Argus, 18 September 1901 Readers of The Argus on the morning of 18 September 1901 were…

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Meeting – Mon 27 May 2019 @ 7.30pm

MeetingsMay 8, 2019
Liardet St No 41 Station, Port Melbourne (Fire Services Museum) Our guest speaker, Ian Munro AFSM, MIFireE, MAIES will take a quick walk through 2,000 years of Fire Service history, finishing with a focus on Australia, Melbourne, and Port Melbourne. Ian is a retired Senior Station Officer with 35 years working for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB). He has also…

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Redevelopment sites in Port Melbourne

Port Melbourne HistorySeptember 24, 2015
Sandridge Motors, near the Graham Street overpass, is for sale by Exrpession of Interest. According to the board, the land is zoned General Residential with a maximum height limit of 18 metres (6 storeys). The Clare Castle Hotel on the other side of the overpass is also for sale. It too is on land zoned General Residential "offering excellent future development…

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Fire at Port Theatre, Bay Street, Port Melbourne Sunday 30 August 2015 - Courtesy MFB Facebook Page

Part of Port’s history up in smoke

Port Melbourne HistorySeptember 3, 2015
3 September 2015 Fire at the former Port Theatre, Bay Street, Port Melbourne Sunday 30 August 2015 - Courtesy MFB Facebook Page Another piece of Port Melbourne’s history may have been claimed by fire. The building that was once the Port Theatre, on the corner of Bay and Liardet Streets, was severely damaged by fire last Sunday. Around 80 fire fighters…

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A Kerosene Ship in Flames

Port Melbourne HistoryJuly 3, 2014
The Hilaria, a 1,500 ton ship from New York caught fire at Town Pier on the morning of the 7th July 1895. Earlier it had been ordered to an outer anchorage away from the pier as its manifest included a case of detonators as well as the usual general cargo including kerosene, rosin and other flammable materials.  The Captain had no knowledge of…

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The First Sandridge Fire Brigade

Port Melbourne HistoryFebruary 13, 2014
Portrait of a young man in Sandridge Volunteer Fire Brigade uniform by William J Burman. Ca 1876-77 John Etkins Collection, State Library of Victoria With bushfire alerts all over ABC radio this week and the lingering smell and haze of smoke in the air my eyes were drawn to the Society bookshelves and a great little publication called 'Fire in the…

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PMHPS acknowledges the generous support of the City of Port Phillip.

 

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Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and work, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.