The Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society was formed in August 1993 to :-
- foster interest in and knowledge of the history of Port Melbourne
- collect and preserve items of historical interest relevant to Port Melbourne
- compile and keep a historical record of the district
- make the above knowledge and materials accessible to researchers and to the people of this area
- work toward the preservation of buildings and objects of architectural, historical and social interest within Port Melbourne
We have a growing collection of photos and ephemera, maps and plans, and maritime, church and Council records.
Depending on their time and interest, members help with the items that come in for cataloguing, or participate in their conservation. We also get many requests for information and enjoy undertaking a bit of detective work. You never know what you are going to find out!
Some members make submissions to heritage/planning authorities regarding the preservation of historic places. Some raise funds for conservation work by selling at festivals and street stalls.
PMH&PS meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month except December in the Council Chamber, upstairs at Port Melbourne Town Hall, 333 Bay St, Port Melbourne. Guests are welcome however RSVPs are strongly encouraged.
Our Bank Details are :-
Port Melbourne Historical Account
BSB: 063 188
Account: 1004 9236
With generous support from the City of Port Phillip, we are well based at the Port Melbourne Town Hall.
2 Comments
Jeffrey Graham
My father (Dec) expressed the firm belief that Port Melbourne was originally known as Liardets Beach.
Can you confirm please?
David Thompson
Thanks for the question Jeffrey. The short answer is that the area now known as Port Melbourne was referred to, at times, as Liardet’s Beach.
In ‘The Borough and Its People’ by Margaret and Graham Bride the naming of the area is addressed. In the early years of European Settlement in the late 1830s the area did not have a name. Around 1838 the surveyor, William Darke called the area Sandridge although it was also known simply as The Beach. Wilbraham and Caroline Liardet and their children arrived in November 1839 and settled on the beach. From around 1840 the area was also known as Liardet’s Beach. By the late 1840s the name Sandridge was the one most commonly used.
On 24 July 1856 the district of Sandridge was proclaimed as Macarthur Ward of the City of Melbourne. Local citizens were still not happy with the relationship with Melbourne and pushed for separation and the Municipal District of Sandridge was proclaimed on 11 July 1860 which then became a borough in 1863. The name was changed to Port Melbourne in 1884. By 1893 the Borough had grown sufficiently to be declared a Town and with more growth the City of Port Melbourne was declared in 1919.
In 1994 a large portion of Fisherman’s Bend was given to the City of Melbourne and in June that year the Cities of Port Melbourne, South Melbourne and St Kilda were amalgamated to form the City of Port Phillip.
Today the area is still generally known as Port Melbourne or Port or The Borough.