Thomas Bahington Macaulay was of Hebridean stock. For seven years he represented Edinburgh in the House of Commons, where he sat in Lord Melbourne’s Cabinet. He was a prolific contributor to the Edinburgh Review, which was widely read in the colonies. His History of England, a classic in spite of defects and a phenomenal best seller, was an invigorating tonic for battling colonists. It did what Macaulay said it would do —inspired hope. Macaulay Road North Melbourne was named in his honor. Source. (1) Northern Advertiser, May 10, 1973. Blanchard collection, “What’s in a Name” at North Melbourne Library.

Richard Cobden, apostle of Free Trade, was the relentless crusader for the repeal of the Corn Law – a protectionist device which, he said, “took from the poorest of the poor to add to the richest of the rich”. In their battles for the “under dog” against the “top dogs”, he and O’Connell found themselves brothers in arms, joined in fierce hostility to Peel, the conservative pillar of the ruling classes. Sir Robert Peel was a keyman in the Tory government of 1828. By the next year, however, the threat of civil war had generated enough steam to blow through his traditional opposition to Catholicism, and he put through a Bill for Catholic Emancipation. Protestant Oxford saw to it that he had lost his seat. Corn law Back in 1843 as Prime Minister, convinced at last by Cobden’s arguments, he repealed the Corn Law. He fell from power immediately, and never regained it. Denounced as twice traitor to his party, he replied that he preferred the general interests of the community to those of party. The Irish certainly gave North Melbourne something to live up to when they hoisted their green banner at its front door.(1) Cobden Street North Melbourne …

Daniel O’Connell, pacifist champion of Catholic emancipation and of all Ireland’s troubles, was hailed in his day as “liberator” of his “most distressful country”. Free Trade In the battles for the “under dog” against the “top dogs”, O’Connell found himself brothers in arms, with Richard Cobden joined in fierce hostility to Peel, the conservative pillar of the ruling classes. Sir Robert Peel was a keyman in the English Tory government of 1828. By the next year, however, the threat of civil war had generated enough steam to blow through his traditional opposition to Catholicism, and he put through a Bill for Catholic Emancipation. Protestant Oxford saw to it that he had lost his seat. Corn law Back in 1843 as Prime Minister, convinced at last by Cobden’s arguments, he repealed the Corn Law. He fell from power immediately, and never regained it. Denounced as twice traitor to his party, he replied that he preferred the general interests of the community to those of party. The Irish certainly gave North Melbourne something to live up to when they hoisted their green banner at its front door, and named O’Connell Street North Melbourne in honour of Daniel O’Connell.(1) Source. (1) Northern Advertiser, …

In 1828, at Upton, Devonshire, a son was born to Thomas Reynolds and Frances Partridge, noted breeder of Devon cattle and Leicester sheep. The baby was named William. About the same time, his cousin Frank, who became the celebrated Hereford breeder in the Hunter River district of NSW, was born. Caught up in the rush to Australia, William Reynolds landed in Victoria in October, 1852, and went to the Mt. Blackwood goldfields, where he did much to improve the method of sluicing. In 1858 he set up as a produce merchant in Tarradale. He soon became a Councillor, being twice mayor and the first territorial JP in the district. He later came to Melbourne and worked as a salesman in the City Meat Market for three years. Irked by Melbourne council’s short-sighted policy, he joined others in forming the Victoria Meat Market in leased premises in Elizabeth Street North. Reynolds carried on there for seven years. Foreseeing the time when even this market could not cope with needs of a growing meat trade, Reynolds bought three quarters of an acre in Courteney Street North Melbourne. A few years later the Metropolitan Meat Market was built on this site, with William …

(1) Charles Ager Atkin, “chymist” — as then spelt, arrived in Melbourne in September 1853, from Nottingham England, at the age of 25. He came to try his luck on the goldfields, but an accident on board ship prevented this. In March 1854 he set up as a “chymist” in Errol Street North Melbourne. His small garden of rare plants, and the antics of a pet monkey he kept on a pole at the shop attracted many customers. His pharmacy is still there, now owned by W. H. Wallace. Atkin became famous for his Quinine Wine Tonic, which won medals at various exhibitions, and sold at the rate of 3000 gallons a year in the State and beyond. The first wine used was made from grapes grown by his father at their other “chymist’s” shop at 96 Spencer Street. Later, the wine came mainly from Rutherglen. Until 1945, 24 Atkin Street North Melbourne was a storage depot for the tonic. Other chymists ran a rival tonic — Hop Bitters. Typical of the fantastic lengths to which they had to go to compete is an item from the (North Melbourne Advertiser, September 1883), headed “The Brazen Serpent.” It reads: “Like the …

(1) John Dennistoun Wood, the son of Captain Patrick Wood of the East India Company’s military service, was born at Dennistoun, Tasmania, in 1829. At the age of 11 he was sent to England to complete his education. At 16 he was a student of the Middle Temple, and six years later he was called to the Bar. He came to Victoria in 1853 and entered practice before the Supreme Court. Four years later he was elected to the Legislative Assembly, and during the next six years Wood held the office of Solicitor-General, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in three successive governments. Retiring from politics, Wood went to live in London, practicing mainly before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in colonial appeal cases. In 1889 he returned to Victoria and practiced at the local Bar. He admitted frankly that his main object was “to make money” Geoffrey Serie, The Golden Age, classifies Wood as a “liberal opportunist — a smart, city lawyer, with influence in high places, who could wrangle favors for constituencies”. An impressive speaker and keen debater, Wood and others often turned debates in the House into squabbles of “rowdyism, violence and spite“. In the gold …