History Mystery Monday: What was Moonee Ponds like 90 years ago?

What was Moonee Ponds like back in 1930?

A search on Trove finds a picture from the National Library of Australia that shows Moonee Ponds junction looking very quiet compared to today. There is clearly a tram, and a vehicle that I think is an early motor car, and someone is strolling across the road in a way that I wouldn't recommend trying now!

But while it is quiet, it is clearly quite built up already - there is a large hotel with a clocktower, a theatre, and I'm pleased to see that there was also a circulating library.

Another great source for learning about what suburbs where like back in time is Victorian Municipal Directories. These volumes were published yearly and provide information about each council area in the state at that point in time, including a paragraph describing each town or suburb.

This is the description of Moonee Ponds from the directory from 1929:
Moonee Ponds is described as a "Flourishing part of the city, with post, telegraph and money-order office, telephone exchange, two saving banks, branches of three banks, elementary high school, State school, five churches and three hotels.  Substantial and commodious town hall, municipal offices, and free public library (over 4000 vols.), police station and court-house, newspaper. Queens park* (lake 3 acres), conservatory, bowling-green and rosery [sic].  Swimming baths, well equipped. Moonee Valley race-course. Rail -- 4 1/2 miles - fares, 6d, and 4 1/2 d. T. Hyland, pm.  Population, 10, 084."

Moonee Ponds is remarkably recognisable from this description - although the population as at 2016 was 14, 250, and sadly the conservatory in Queens Park is now long gone.

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