Moonee Valley Family & Local History Blog

We’re still in the depths of what feels like a never-ending Melbourne winter, but not to worry- our friends at Trove have some ideas to keep us cosy in these chilly months. Usually the first thing that comes to the mind of this Community Heritage Librarian when thinking of Trove is research! But there is so much more to explore, and the experts at Trove have put together some handy searches to help us make the most of the digital resources that are available. Thos. [Thomas] W. Mitchell, Victorian Attorney-general, busily knitting in his office, 1951 . Courtesy of State Library Victoria. If you’re a knitter, quilter or embroiderer, there are some fantastic vintage knitting patterns available to keep your fingers nimble and warm this winter. Some simple searches put together by Trove are available via the links below- Winter knitting patterns in newspapers Quilting patterns in newspapers Embroidery patterns in magazines and journals You can further customise your search by using the f...

Once again, we find ourselves spending more time at home and many of us are getting re-acquainted with our local streets on our daily walks. If you’ve walked the same path every day and are looking for a way to change up your walks around your neighbourhood, we’ve got you covered! Your local Community Heritage librarians have put together self-guided history walks for four neighbourhoods in Moonee Valley, which you can access through our library catalogue . The walks include a stroll along the river in Aberfeldie, through Queens Park in Moonee Ponds, and around the streets of Niddrie and Strathmore. If these areas fall within your 5km radius, we invite you to take a (safe and socially distant) winter walk and visit points of historical interest in your area- you might even learn some fun local trivia tidbits! The Moonee Ponds Creek flooding in 1963 near Wallace Crescent in Strathmore. This view looks east towards Pascoe Vale South. (Photograph courtesy of Moonee Valley Libraries) Foll...

Interested in getting started with researching your Family History? Join us on Zoom for a Family History Online class. Discover free online tools such as Ancestry, Find My Past and Trove and learn basic skills and techniques to discover more about your family’s past. In this 2 hour class we'll discuss how to begin researching your family history, particularly using online research tools. The content is aimed at beginners, so covers how to get started, as well as some basic tips and tricks that are important to keep your research in order and on track. The main focus of the session will be on online research tools that you can use for family history research. In particular, we'll be focusing on Ancestry and Find My Past (two fantastic family history research databases that can be accessed for free by Moonee Valley Library members), as well as the Trove website - which is, as the name suggests, an amazing treasure trove of historical information. If time permits we'll also co...

New year, new reading. The folks at Trove are always working hard to bring us ever more digital resources that we can access from anywhere with an internet connection. Despite the challenges of recent times, they have continued to deliver, as always! Check out what’s new in February . Man and two boys reading 'Australasian' newspaper, country edition , 1910-1920. Photograph by Lindsay Cumming, courtesy of State Library Victoria. Many Victorian newspapers have been digitised for the first time, and are now available to access through Trove. Several of these digitisation projects have been funded by family history organisations or local historical societies, who are now able to share their physical resources with us in digital form. One close to home example is the Brunswick and Coburg Leader , from 1914-1921- now you can discover what was going on in our neighbouring suburbs around that time! A quick search for some Moonee Valley suburbs in this publication delivers such ge...

  Buckley Park is a wonderful green space in Essendon, home to a tennis club, bowls club and the Essendon Doutta Stars football club. But it wasn’t always a space for recreation and has been through many changes- what used to be on the land that we now call Buckley Park? Post European settlement, the land was granted in 1850 to Mr William Hoffman, one of the few Germans living in the area at the time. It was bounded by Hoffmans Road, Keilor Road, Buckley Street and Hedderwick Street. The allotment was later known as Buckely Park Estate and was quite a large bit of land, most of which was used for grazing. Hoffman built his original residence in 1867, and named it ‘Butzbach’ after a town in Germany. It was a lovely large bluestone homestead,  near what is now the corner of Nimmo Street and Spencer Street. A section of the original Doutta Galla County of Bourke Parish Allotments , drawn and reproduced at the Department of Lands and Survey, Melbourne, Victoria. Courtesy of the...

Our friends at the Keilor Historical Society have been putting together a podcast- have a listen and learn something new about the history of the area! The Keilor region has an ongoing rich and fascinating history- from its naming in 1840s, through the gold rush era, to significant archaeological discoveries of some of the  earliest sites of human habitation in Australia.  We look forward to hearing all about various aspects of the history of the area, explored in depth in this new podcast. The inaugural episode is online and ready to go! In this episode, Susan Jennison- president of the Keilor Historical Society, discusses the many bridges of the Keilor region with host Richard Whybrow. You can access the podcast on various platforms- click here to visit the KHS Anchor site, to find out how to get your ears around this great new podcast. And keep an ear out for more episodes in the future! Bridge at Keilor c.1920-1930 (from State Library Victoria)

You may be familiar with the name Maurice Blackburn, but who was he, and what was his connection to Moonee Valley? Maurice Blackburn, c.1910-1930, courtesy of National Library of Australia Well, to give you an idea of the character of the man- Robert Menzies, former Prime Minister of Australia, once said Blackburn “brought into public life a rare character, complete indifference to personal consequences, an uncommon scholarship, great zeal for humanity, and a firm belief, which I am happy to share, that men are immeasurably more important than laws.” Another former Prime Minister, John Curtin, stated that Blackburn- “served the people who suffered injustice … He pleaded their cause, and he engaged in the study of how best he could serve them … He would allow nothing to turn him from what he considered to be the right, and however unpopular he might become, however discomforting his attitude might be to his colleagues, the divine monitor within him impelled him to stand for what in his ...

Now that the weather is warming up and we can venture a little further from home, why not take advantage of a sunny day and enjoy a walk along the river? With our self-guided history walk, you can get to know a little more about the history of Aberfeldie while taking a stroll along the lovely Maribyrnong River. This walk begins outside the iconic Incinerator Gallery on Holmes Road in Aberfeldie and follows a gentle westerly path with stops along the Maribyrnong River, concluding at the newly restored Afton Street bridge. View of the Afton Street Bridge from the Afton Street Conservation Park. August 2020, photograph by S. Holmes. Click  here  to download the Aberfeldie Self-Guided Walk PDF, and either print it, or follow it on-screen on your phone or tablet. The PDF also contains links to photographs, newspaper articles, websites and items in the Moonee Valley Libraries catalogue, so you can look further into Aberfeldie’s interesting history in your own time, from home. We hop...

Lots of things are looking quite different this year, and in particular, festivals and events that we’d usually attend in person have had to make a giant leap from the physical world to the virtual. A more traditional festival- a scene on the east side of Pridham Street, Flemington, c.1900-1905. Photograph courtesy of Moonee Valley Libraries. The folks at  Royal Historical Society of Victoria have put together a fun and varied virtual history festival that you can take part in without leaving your home- festivals have never looked like this before! Welcome to the Stay at Home Festival . In the wise words of the Royal Historical Society- Have. Some. Fun. The festival happens all the time, any time, in your own time (for as long as we’re all spending most of our time at home). And there are events and activities for home historians of all ages! Ever wanted to try creative writing with a historical theme? Join the History Writer’s Group and get a new writing task each month. Interes...

From as early as 1912, buses have been an efficient way for Melburnians to get from A to B. Who were the Moonee Valley locals who drove the first buses from Essendon Station? From what we can tell, it was very much a local family affair! Which perfectly fits August's theme of National Family History Month. The story begins in 1915 with a marriage between a young man from Moonee Ponds and a young lady from Essendon. Sergeant Herbert Vivian Memery, of the 29th Infantry Battalion, married Mona Grant on the 20th of November, 1915 . Shortly afterwards, Sergeant Memery embarked for war in February 1916, along with his brothers John and Samuel, and brother-in-law Edward. Mona was pregnant with their first child, and was living with her father James Grant at his property on Mount Alexander Road while her husband was deployed. Herbert and Mona’s first daughter was born there in 1916. Sadly, Sergeant Memery was injured in battle, but returned home to Mona in 1917. They welcomed a second da...

You may have noticed a quirky sign above the entry to a little café near Newmarket Station in Flemington- Girdwood’s Hygienic Library. These days you can grab a takeaway coffee from the café, but in the past, you were able to borrow a very clean book or two! So, what were hygienic libraries, and how did they come about? In the 1880s, the discovery that disease could be passed on by bacteria led to businesses adapting the way they operated, to reduce the spread of disease. Although there’s mention in newspapers of libraries sterilising their books from the late 1890s (such as this article in the Armidale Express and New England Advertiser in 1899), the practice didn’t become commonplace in Australia until the 1930s. Hygienic lending libraries began popping up, with many in the Moonee Valley area. These private subscription libraries, including one located inside Girdwood’s Newsagency and Stinton’s on Puckle Street in Moonee Ponds, started advertising that their books were wiped with fo...

Have you ever strolled along the Maribyrnong River in Moonee Ponds and wondered about the steep, bluestone and grass terraces that line the river by Maribyrnong Park? It’s certainly a nice spot to sit and watch the river, but why were they built and what were they used for? Henley Terraces The terraces have been known by various names, including the Henley on Maribyrnong Terraces, and the Henley Grandstand. But what was this ‘Henley’?  The Henley on Maribyrnong was an annual water carnival run by the Essendon River League from 1912, to raise funds for their work protecting, improving and beautifying the Saltwater (now Maribyrnong) River. The carnival was modelled on the popularity of a similar carnival- the Henley on Yarra- and included activities such as rowing, swimming, novelty events and fairground attractions. The first Henley on Maribyrnong drew a crowd of 20,000 – 30,000 spectators! It was quite an event on the social calander for local residents. And these spectators would ...

August is National Family History Month, and is the perfect time to get stuck into some research on your family history!  Curious about the history of your house? Our Things to do Thursday post last week  hopefully gave you a starting point to begin researching the history of a building. For National Family History Month we continue on this theme, and will be running two online sessions on Tracing the History of you House. Our resident expert Meredith will guide you through the resources available to you to get you started on your own research, and answer any questions you may have. Click here to register for our afternoon or evening session on August 5th.  Woodlands- Built in the mid-1880s as a base from which to supervise the building of nearby Earlsbrae (Lowther Hall). Demolished to make way for units in the mid-1950s, despite being in immaculate condition. Photograph c.1908, courtesy of Essendon Historical Society. The National Family History Month website has l...

Curious about when your house was built? Interested in finding out about the original occupants? Wondering about the history of that interesting old building on your street? Don't know where to begin? Moonee Valley Libraries has just the guide for you! Our Researching the History of a Building guide brings together all the resources available through Moonee Valley libraries, as well as online, to get your started with your research project. Whether you're interested in when it was built, the original occupants of a building, the architecture style or tracking down an old photo of a bulding, the guide has tips and tricks to point you in the right direction. Once you're familiar with the resources available to you from home, let yourself fall down a research rabbit hole and see what you uncover. And keep an eye on Moonee Valley Library's  Eventbrite page and social media channels for our upcoming online event Trace the History of Your House, for National Family Histor...

Our friends at the Incinerator Gallery in Aberfeldie have re-opened to the public! Essendon Incinerator, Walter Burley Griffin, Holmes Road  (1975) Photograph by John T. Collins, courtesy of State Library Victoria. One of the current exhibitions showing at the gallery is Fluidity- An Exhibition in Digital Waves . You can experience it in person at the gallery, or online in the digital space. "Fluidity is an exhibition presented on-site at Incinerator Gallery, and as an online resource via the Gallery’s website. It explores the force of soft power to affect change in the world through the political and poetic navigation of water. Fluidity brings together newly commissioned works by some of Australia’s foremost contemporary artists, as well as works curated from the City of Moonee Valley Art Collection. These are presented alongside long-standing ecological projects that celebrate sustainable and healthy waterways in Melbourne’s North West." Fluidity runs from June 19th until A...

We might be spending a bit more time at home at the moment, so what better time to get stuck into researching your family history! Tracing your family tree and recording your family history is one of the world's most popular pass times, and many of the resources to get you started are available online. Moonee Valley Libraries has created a handy guide to tracing your family history, which will introduce you to the resources available to help you with your research. The guide includes tips to think about before you get started, how to make the most of Ancestry Library Edition and Find my Past, and links to a lot of useful websites and organisations to help you dig out information about your family history. Click here to access the guide and get started discovering your history. Once you’re familiar with how to use these online resources, a world of information awaits you. Dive in and you may be amazed with what you discover- royalty, perhaps? Royal Family Tree - image courtesy ...

4th Birthday Party in Essendon, 1926. From Museum Victoria's Melbourne's Biggest Family Album collection. Thanks to Museums Victoria, a collection of photographs, old and not-so-old, from all over Melbourne is online and available to explore from the comfort of your own home. You can read about the Melbourne’s Biggest Family Album project here , and browse the collection photographs here . Fiona Kinsey, the Senior Curator of Images and Image Making at Museums Victoria, writes “These wonderful images have opened up many new perspectives on Melbourne's history, and provide evocative, personal insights into life in Melbourne from the late 19th century to the early 21st century. More than just records of individual family life, these photographs are a wonderful resource for exploring the history of communities, places and events.”. Take a trip back in time and observe Melbourne’s many guises throughout the past decades, from the perspective of everyday Melbournians. You m...

While walking and chatting on a Local History walk in Niddrie last year, a participant mentioned that there were gun placements built in Niddrie during World War II, facing towards what is now Matthews Avenue. Do you know anything more about this History Mystery? Essendon Airport was substantially commandeered by the RAAF during WWII, and played a strategic role in the defence of the nation. A number of barracks were erected on the western side of Wirraway Road to accommodate this use, as well as machine gun batteries and defensive trenches. It seems likely that there would have been several gun placements, as the airport would have been a target during the war. Does anyone have any local knowledge about Niddrie's mysterious military past? We'd love to hear it! Share your information by emailing  librarian@mvcc.vic.gov.au , or add a comment below. Essendon Aerodrome, 1945 . Photograph by Charles Daniel Pratt, courtesy of the State Library of Victoria.

We're all interested in pandemics at the moment. So I've looked into how the Spanish Flu pandemic affected our local area just over 100 years ago, and put together a short video explainer. To learn more about Spanish Flu, try these recommended pages For more on Essendon Emergency Hospital and local impacts: http://timetravellers.pbworks.com/w/page/139430178/Essendon-Emergency-Hospital-1919 For Spanish Flu in Australia: https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/influenza-pandemic For the impact on the 1919 footy season: https://www.afl.com.au/news/387127/what-happened-the-last-time-footy-faced-a-pandemic For the use of the Royal Exhibition Building as a hospital: https://heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/get-involved/tours/melbourne-at-war-hidden-histories-1914-18-audio-tour/melbourne-at-war-stop-7/