Vanished Victoria

Statues, fountains, plaques, bridge balustrades and street signs disappeared from our public spaces. Missing objects of art or amenity were the landmarks that helped connect us to place, and the stories that surrounded us. This blog lists vanished items and invites you to add your knowledge concerning them. Should you be aware of other lost items, you are invited to forward their details to us. Compiling an inventory of lost artefacts from the public realm will help us safeguard their memory.

Saturday, August 27, 2022

Harold Alexander Pavilion Signage, Middle Park

The Harold Alexander Pavilion at the Middle Park Life Saving Club was demolished in 2006. The sign, made up if individual orange letters, was removed and put into storage due to the intervention of David Brand, City of Phillip Councillor. David described it in 2006 as a sign of the time, which deserved a new home. The letters have now disappeared. Recently, when interviewed by Vanished Victoria, David said I was pretty pleased I’d saved them, in the face of general indifference. I felt very disappointed when they couldn't find them again.

The Harold Alexander Pavilion

Image: Victorian Heritage Database https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/13893

It's not just the loss of the letters, it is the fact that the Pavilion was named to honour and recognise the achievements of Harold Alexander (1902-1964), Town Clerk of the City of South Melbourne from 1936 until his death. Over ten years later, in 2017, the City of Port Phillip named the forecourt in front of the Emerald Hill Library and Heritage Centre as Harold Alexander Forecourt. A report in the Port Phillip Leader in April 2017 noted Lettering used to adorn the former pavilion in Middle Park has been in storage since its demolition and council officers are confident it can be incorporated into the new forecourt design.

It was a wasted opportunity that the linking of the original memorial to Harold Alexander to the new memorial was not undertaken, with the result the original lettering has now disappeared.

David Brand, left, and fellow councillor Peter Logan, who also fought for the retention of the sign,

with the letters in 2006.

Image: Divercity: the official newsletter of the City of Port Phillip, April/May 2006

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Sources

Divercity: the official newsletter of the City of Port Phillip, April/May 2006
City of Port Phillip Council Meeting Agenda, April 5, 2017, can be accessed here. This includes a short biography of the life and achievements of Harold Alexander.
City of Port Phillip Council Meeting Minutes April 5, 2017, can be accessed here.
Port Phillip Leader, April 12, 2017, can be accessed here.

Sunday, August 14, 2022

Edith Cavell bust, St Kilda

This delightful bust of Nurse Edith Cavell once graced the St Kilda Botanical Gardens in Blessington Street.

We have no information when and where it was originally installed, but in October 1986 it was restored and located in the Blessington Street Gardens. Less than seven years it was gone.

Nurse Edith Cavell bust, Blessington Street Gardens

Image: St Kilda Historical Society https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/603efb1a092fbbe37f3e9751

Plaque at the base of the plinth of the Nurse Cavell bust.

Image: St Kilda Historical Society https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/603efb1a092fbbe37f3e9751

An article by Jane Cafarella in The Age on August 18, 1993 on the subject of why there were so few public memorials to women, noted that the Edith Cavell bust in the Blessington Street gardens had been the victim of vandals.

The Edith Cavell bust vandalised.

The Age August 18, 1993

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Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Mooring rings, Elwood Canal

These wrought iron rings look to stem back to the Elwood Swamp Canal's 1889 construction through the lagoon, where not only reclamation was a goal, but securing safe anchorage for small vessels between Brighton and St Kilda was also an essential goal.

One of the remaining mooring rings

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The industrial scale of the Canal was primarily designed for navigational purposes, with an early proposal for a deep water lagoon for commercial vessels and barge transport.

'Tinnies' regularly moored in the Canal, though with the lowered height of the two 1967 Country Roads Board Marine Parade bridges, access became difficult. The new St. Kilda Marina nearby was also seen to provide alternative anchorage.

Only 11½ mooring rings remain out of the original 82.

1956: A low tide view of the Elwood Canal anchorage from Marine Parade

Image: Development of the Elster Creek Drainage System /

Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, 1979.

1976: High tide view from Marine Parade

Image: Development of the Elster Creek Drainage System /

Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, 1979.

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Hazard signs at Elwood Canal footbridge

These two canal slip hazard signs at either end of the 1970s Elwood Canal mouth footbridge signalled a period where traversing the 'Chinese' or 'Rocking Bridge' was a risky venture, especially when joggers were on it. Often groups of joggers would veer over to the adjoining 'John Cribbes Footbridge' for bicycles only.

These two safety signs were unique cartoon-like caricatures. They went missing about August 2021.

Up until the bridge's thorough overhaul in March 2022, crossing over it remained a risky proposal especially during frosty, wet or busy periods.

One of the missing signs

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The other missing sign and the bridge

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The bridge was known by some as the 'Chinese Bridge' and separately by kids as the 'Rocking Bridge'. Chinese because of its traditional arched form, clearly seen in the photo below; and rocking bridge (from rocking horse) because it had a terrible swaying that kids enjoyed.

The bridge during refurbishment works, March 2022

Image: © VanishedVictoria

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Thursday, June 23, 2022

St Bede's street sign in Elwood

Old street signs to discontinued destinations that remain in situ will continue to be markers of yesteryear, often suggestive of destinations gone by the wayside, and in some cases of bygone customs and culture. Other lamp post signs such as 'Hail Cars Here' denoted old tramway stops (1); while a 'War Savings Street' was an indication of local patriotic support (2). Even the round metal tags embedded in the actual timber pole and inscribed with two mysterious letters informed us of the type of tree by its common name. Old street signs are indeed intrinsic to the local flavour of neighbourhoods. They are little sentimental links that continue to bind us to our sense of place.

This street sign to St Bede's Church was on the corner of Ormond Road and St Kilda Street in Elwood and went missing around April 2021. St Bede's Anglican Church, in Ormond Road, opened October 3, 1916; a hall, kindergarten and a tennis court were later added to the complex (3). It was closed some years ago and is now apartments.

The missing sign to St Bede's Anglican Church, Elwood.

Image: © VanishedVictoria

An example of the tag inscribed with BB denoting the type of timber a pole was constructed of.

In this case 'BB' stands for Blackbutt a native eucalypt hardwood.

Image: © VanishedVictoria

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Footnotes

(1) 'Hail cars here' sign - the Melbourne Tram Museum has one of these signs in their collection, see here.

(2) 'War Saving Street' sign - these signs are part of the collection of the Kew Historical Society, see here and Monash History, see here.

(3) Cooper, John Butler The History of St Kilda from its first settlement to a city and after 1840 - 1930, v. 1 (St Kilda City Council, 1931), p. 342; There is a short history of the Church in Spirit of St Kilda: Places of worship in St Kilda by Janette Bomford (St Kilda Historical Society, 2003). Access it on-line here, http://skhs.org.au/SKHSchurches/churches.htm

Cast metal hitching post, South Melbourne

This cast metal horse hitching post, outside 295 Clarendon Street in South Melbourne, went

missing in the 1980s.

Since this was first posted an update has been provided by the Port Phillip Library Local History Librarian. In 1983, the restoration of the Emerald Hill Estate was undertaken for the occasion of the 100th anniversary of South Melbourne becoming a City in September 1883. The verandas on the Emerald Hill Estate site were painted in brown and cream stripes, the fences were renewed and

painted and they decided to put a whole lot of hitching posts around various places on the hill.

By that time 1983, the only original post was the one in front of 295 Clarendon Street which was originally the Bank of Victoria. This one was taken away and used as the cast for all the other

ones that are now in the streets. Unfortunately the original was lost (probably mixed up with the copies).

Hitching post in Clarendon Street, February 12, 1971.

Photographer: John T. Collins.

J.T. Collins Collection, La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria, Image H98.251/835:

These hitching posts were once a common part of the streetscape, but as horse transport was replaced by motor cars, there was no longer any use for them, so they may have been gradually removed, or in some cases just disappeared. Even 70 years ago these posts were rare as Emerald Hill Record reported in July 1954 -

The rare hitching post outside 295 Clarendon Street

Emerald Hill Record July 24, 1954 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164507426

The now vanished hitching post outside 295 Clarendon Street, 1970/1974.

Photographer: Committee for Urban Action.

State Library of Victoria Image CUASM199/3-4 Image 5

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Plaque and bronze lettering, Elwood Life Saving Club

Recently, the commemorative plaque and the bronze letters, John R. Conabere, on the Elwood Life Saving Club Pavilion were stolen. The building was dedicated on October 23, 2004 and was named in honour of John R. Conabere, O.B.E. All that remains are the letters, O.B.E.

The commemorative plaque and bronze letters in situ.

Image courtesy Elwood Life Saving Club

John Russell 'Jack' Conebere was a Life Member, Trustee and former President of the Club. The Elwood Surf Life Saving Club was established in 1911 and Mr Conabere was interviewed by The Age newspaper in January 1988 and informed the reporter that Elwood was the first club to use the reel and line in rescues and also pioneered the the use of flotation devices, which replaced the reel and line. They were also the the first club to use marine radio. The report continued with Listeners to Radio 3KZ were still informed by Elwood life savers about conditions on the Bay, a service started by Mr Conebere in 1956 (1).

Jack Conabere received his O.B.E in the Queen's Birthday awards in June 1969 in recognition of service to life saving. He passed away January 8, 1989 at the age of 68 (2).

A tribute from the City of St Kilda to Jack Conabere.

The Age January 12, 1989

It seems a shame that a man who devoted so much of his life to keeping the beach at Elwood safe for the thousands of visitors every year, should be treated with such a lack of respect by the thieves.

Elwood Life Saving Club.

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The wall where the plaque and lettering once was.

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The letters O.B.E are all that remain.

Image: © VanishedVictoria

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Footnotes

(1) Tuohy, Wendy Around the Bay: Elwood published in The Age January 7, 1988. p. 10.

(2) Australian Honours database https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/search; Death notice in The Age January 10, 1989.

Monday, June 6, 2022

Quarantine Station plaque, Point Ormond

There is a cairn on Point Ormond, Elwood which marks the site of Victoria's first quarantine station. The quarantine station was established on April 24, 1840 when the ship, the Glen Huntley arrived, flying the yellow quarantine flag. The cairn was unveiled in November 1985, a project of the St Kilda Historical Society and the Elwood Lions Club. Unfortunately the top plaque has recently disappeared. The lower plaque, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Glen Huntley is still there.

The missing plaque

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The cairn complete with both plaques, photographed in 2019

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The cairn in May 2022

Image: © VanishedVictoria

In good news, in September 2023 the City of Port Phillip replaced the missing plaque.

The cairn with the replacement plaque

Image: © VanishedVictoria, September 2023

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Saturday, June 4, 2022

Ornamental bird bath, St Kilda

Image: © VanishedVictoria

This plinth is all that remains of an ornamental bird bath (also called a bird fountain) presented by Victor Miller to the City of St Kilda for the St Kilda Botanical Gardens in Blessington Street on April 14, 1928.

The bird bath donated by Victor Miller and the Aviary, at the Botanical Gardens.

Image: St Kilda Botanical Gardens: a social snapshot of its first hundred years (1)

The presentation ceremony was reported in the Prahran Telegraph of April 20, 1928 -
Last Saturday afternoon a pleasant little ceremony took place at the Blessington Street Gardens. Mr. Victor Miller, an enthusiastic member of the Field Naturalists' Club, presented to the council an ornamental bird fountain which has been erected in the gardens. Members of the club - numbering about 40 - assembled, and after the formal presentation, the Mayor (Cr. F. L. Dawkins, J.P.), thanked Mr. Miller for his generous donation. The Mayoress (Mrs. Dawkins) then filled the fountain. Mr. Miller, expressing admiration of the fine aviary in the gardens, then offered to subscribe £10 towards the extension of same. The Mayor promised to bring the matter under the notice of the council.

Members of the club then proceeded to plant a number of Australian trees in a specially prepared
bed and in other parts of the gardens. These trees were also donated by Mr. Miller. The Mayoress planted the first tree, a Gippsland Lillipilli, and this was followed by the Mayor planting a Kanuka. Various councillors then followed suit, and altogether quite a pleasant afternoon was spent. The Mayor and Mayoress then invited the president, Mr. Pescott, and members to afternoon tea at the Town Hall, where other speeches were made, and thus terminated a very enjoyable afternoon. Mr. Dickens, of the Horticultural Society, promised to plant a plot in the gardens at a later date. (2)

Victor Henry Miller was born at 84 High Street, St Kilda on November 8, 1875 the ninth child of Jacob and Catherine (nee Streeting) Miller. Jacob was a cabinet maker, furniture dealer and a St Kilda Councillor. Victor was a member of, and also served as President of, the Horticultural Society of Victoria, the Field Naturalists' Club and the Bird Observers' Club and was an executive of the Historical Society of Victoria. He died July 4, 1974 (3). The aviary mentioned in the article had been presented by Mrs Dawkins in 1926.

What has become of Victor Miller's ornamental bird bath?

The plinth remains in the Blessington Street Gardens.

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Footnotes

(1) St Kilda Botanical Gardens: a social snapshot of its first hundred years by Patricia Convery

(St Kilda Botanical Gardens, 2014) The source of the image, as listed in the book, is City of Port Phillip Archive.

(2) Prahran Telegraph of April 20, 1928, here.

(3) Biographical information - Birth certificate; The Herald, June 27, 1935, here and Walks in Port Phillip: a guide by Meyer Eidelson, here.

Monday, May 30, 2022

Saturday, May 21, 2022

J.R. Tranthim-Fryer Young Queen statue

In 1901, the sculptor John Robertson Tranthim Fryer, produced this model of Kipling's Young Queen to commemorate Federation.

J.R. Tranthim-Fryer's Young Queen statue

The Leader April 27, 1901 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198083229

The Leader newspaper of April 27, 1901 had a report on the statue, under the headline An Australian Symbol -
Mr. J. Tranthim-Fryer, a young Australian sculptor, of Queen's-buildings, has completed a model representing Kipling's Young Queen, presenting symbolical features appropriate to the Australian Commonwealth. The model stands over 4 feet in height, and has been made in accordance with a suggestion by Mr. O. A. Junck, of East Melbourne, that a statue of the young Queen conferring "light" and "power" on the Australian people should be erected on the top of the Exhibition, or some other public building, such as Parliament House, to permanently commemorate the foundation of the new Australia. The figure in the model is represented as being mounted on the dome of the Exhibition and holding in her right hand a powerful electric light of about 5000 candle power, which it is claimed would be seen for many miles in all directions at night; and with her left hand she is upholding the Federal charter of Australia. The various States are represented by stars, the young Queen being crowned with a diadem of stars — one for each of the federated States (1).

J.R. Tranthim-Fryer was born in Tasmania in 1858 and studied at the Technical College in Sydney. He was appointed to the Art Department at Hobart Technical College in 1890. From 1895 he undertook more study in London at the Royal College of Art, Lambeth School of Art, and the Royal Academy. On his return to Australia he held positions at Sale Technical School, Horsham Men's College and Gordon Technical College in Geelong. In 1908, Tranthim-Fryer was appointed the first director of Swinburne Technical College, a position he held until his death in July 1928 (2).

Otto Junck, who was noted in one newspaper report as having suggested and designed the statue, was born in Germany. After the family migrated to Australia, they lived in Bendigo. Otto was employed in the Electrical Engineers branch of the Victorian Post Office. He died in 1949, aged 83 (3).

In July 1901, it was reported that Junck and Tranthim-Fryer intended to exhibit the statue at the Bendigo Jubilee Gold Exhibition which was held from November 13, 1901 to May 14 1902 (4). We have no information as to whether it was actually exhibited.

Where is Tranthim-Fryer's Young Queen statue?

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Footnotes

(1) The Leader, April 27 1901, see here.

(2) Tranthim-Fryer - The Herald, May 31, 1928, here; Hobart Mercury, July 14, 1928 here; Design & Art Australia Online entry, here.

(3) Otto Junck - The Bendigo Independent, July 6 1901, see here; The Bendigonian, November 3, 1914, here.

(4) The Age, July 6, 1901, see here.

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Carrara marble bust, St Kilda

On May 10, 1927 The Argus newspaper reported that

Mr Alexander Isaacson of Inverleigh, Acland street, St Kilda has made a presentation to the St Kilda foreshore committee of a piece of valuable statuary the subject of which is a smiling Italian peasant boy. The statue is of Carrara marble, and stands 23½ in, high. It was sculptured by G. Livi (1) in 1888. The secretary to the committee (Mr H. O. Allan) said yesterday that it was probable that the statue would be placed on the lawn between Luna Park and the end of the Upper Esplanade. Mr Isaacson had offered to provide a suitable pedestal for the statue. A few years ago Mr. Isaacson presented to the trustees of the National Gallery a very fine collection of coins (2).

Alexander Isaacson is listed in the 1927 Electoral Roll at 12 Acland Street, St Kilda and his occupation is a jeweller. The property was actually called Inverleith, not Inverleigh as stated in the article; it is now demolished, but the St Kilda Historical Society has a history of the property, here. Mr Isaacson, who was a bachelor, died on October 18, 1950, aged 80 (3).

What has happened to the marble bust of the smiling Italian boy generously donated by Alexander Isaacson?

A photograph of the Carrara marble bust

The Argus May 11, 1927 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3853798

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Footnotes

(1) The sculptor was likely Giuseppe Livi, born in Italy in 1828, but we have no other biographical information.

(2) The Argus, May 10, 1927, see here. There is a similar report in The Age, of May 10, 1927, here.

(3) Alexander Isaacson's death notice wa sin The Argus, October 19, 1950, here. He is buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery.

Levi summer house plaque, St Kilda Botanical Gardens

Commemoration and memorial plaques do vanish and in mid-April 2022 this plaque on the summer house in the St Kilda Botanical Gardens, in Blessington Street, was stolen. The summer house was donated in memory of Albert and Rachael (nee Benjamin) Levi by their children. Their son, Joseph, who was a City of St Kilda Councillor, wrote to the Council in December 1928 -
The family of the late Alfred and Rachael Levi, who were very old residents of our city, desires to perpetuate their memory by placing a memorial in the Botanic Gardens, Blessington street, in the form of a summer house for the use of our citizens. The erection of the summer house was completed in July 1929 (1).

Some people might say, it's just a plaque, what does it matter? But it does matter because we have lost the connection between the summer house and the generosity of the Levi family; we have lost a connection to part of the history of St Kilda and we have lost the connection to civic philanthropy, when people would donate land or a fountain or in this case a summer house, to be freely used by all members of the community. The plaque can be replaced, but it won't have the same ring of authenticity as the very solid and stylish original.

The missing plaque

The Levi summer house, St Kilda Botanical Gardens.

This was not the only plaque stolen in April 2022 from the Elwood St Kilda area, there were several others as well. The City of Port Phillip has issued a media release on these thefts https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/about-the-council/news-and-media/brazen-bronze-thefts-in-port-phillip

In good news, in September 2023 the City of Port Phillip replaced the missing plaque.

The replacement plaque

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Footnote

(1) The quote is from the Prahran Telegraph, December 21, 1928, see here; there is also a report in the Prahran Telegraph of July5, 1929, here.

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Saturday, August 27, 2022

Harold Alexander Pavilion Signage, Middle Park

Sunday, August 14, 2022

Edith Cavell bust, St Kilda

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Mooring rings, Elwood Canal

Hazard signs at Elwood Canal footbridge

Thursday, June 23, 2022

St Bede's street sign in Elwood

Cast metal hitching post, South Melbourne

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Plaque and bronze lettering, Elwood Life Saving Club

Monday, June 6, 2022

Quarantine Station plaque, Point Ormond

Saturday, June 4, 2022

Ornamental bird bath, St Kilda

Monday, May 30, 2022

Further Reading

Saturday, May 21, 2022

J.R. Tranthim-Fryer Young Queen statue

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Carrara marble bust, St Kilda

Levi summer house plaque, St Kilda Botanical Gardens