Category Archive

It is thought Mr Robert Brotherton, a native of Lancashire England was born about 1842. We can see Robert Brotherton was residing in Melbourne from 1857 to 1862 from the ‘Melbourne Council Notice of intention to build’ records. In 1862 he was single and 19 years of age and chose to leave Port Phillip for the Otago region of New Zealand. Significant building works carried out by Robert Brotherton are listed below. The table below can be scrolled left to right if viewed on a mobile device. Building ID Location Owner Suburb Building State Building Type Builder Build Date (YYYY MM DD) Registration no 71231 A’Beckett Street – St John’s Church property Brotherton, Robert – Sexton – St John’s church Melbourne VIC Houses Brotherton, Robert 1857 09 17 798 72545 Abbotsford Street s.w. cnr of Benevolent Asylum Brotherton, Robert West Melbourne VIC Houses Brotherton, Robert 1860 03 22 186 Table source: https://www.mileslewis.net/australian-architectural/ Main source: Public Records Office of Victoria, BDM Victoria and the Melbourne edition of the Sands & McDougall directoy.

James Kilfoy and Mary Harty, were married in Limerick Ireland around 1847 where Mary gave birth to their 3 children, Annie, Patrick & James before arriving in Port Phillip in 1856/7 on the vessel ‘Escort’. Mary was 40 years of age on arrived to the colony while their children were 9, 7 and 5 respectively. Shipping records show the family surname as Kilfoyle, however Sands & McDougall directory have their surname spelt as Kilfoy. Melbourne Council rate book for 1863 has their surname spelt as Kelfoy. The Kilfoy family were living at number 69 Abbotsford street West Melbourne, between Spencer and Ireland streets according to the 1872 Sands & McDougal directory in a house built by James himself. James Kilfoy, a Carpenter by trade became a successful builder in his life, unfortunately James’s wife Mary passed away just 11 years after arrival James was left to manage raising their three children alone. Significant building works carried out by James Kilfoy are listed below. The table below can be scrolled left to right if viewed on a mobile device. Building ID Location Owner Suburb Building State Building Type Builder Build Date (YYYY MM DD) Registration no 76769 Spencer St near cnr …

Mr William French is thought to have been a native of Hertfordshire England born about 1821. It is also thought William might have arrived in Port Phillip sometime between 1848 to 1854 on the vessel ‘Truro’. The French family lived on Adderley Street between Hawke & Abbotsford streets in West Melbourne in 1870, according to Sands & McDougal directory. In 1865 the French family were living at Byron Street Hotham. William French, a Master Bricklayer by trade became a successful builder during his life in Melbourne. Significant building works carried out by William French are listed below. The table below can be scrolled left to right if viewed on a mobile device. Building ID Location Owner Suburb Building State Building Type Builder Build Date (YYYY MM DD) Melbourne Council Notice of Intention to Build number 72612 cottage at Adderley St – near Hawke French, William – Byron St – Hotham West Melbourne VIC Houses French, William 1865 11 6 1181 72638 building cnr Adderley & Abbotsford French, W West Melbourne VIC Buildings French, W 1867 02 5 1869 72708 cottage on Adderley St French, William West Melbourne VIC Houses French, William 1870 05 2 3893 72778 two houses cnr Adderley …

Mr. George Black, a native of Northumberland England who was born 1826, met and married Alice Dagleish in Melbourne in 1854. George, who was seeking a new life in the exciting new colony of Port Phillip, arrived in Melbourne sometime on or before 1853. Alice, a native of Berwick upon Tweed England, gave birth to 4 children in Melbourne, she was 33 years of age when she had her last child in 1862. The Black family lived on Powlett Street East Melbourne, between Hotham & Gipps Streets in 1860, according to Sands & McDougal directory of 1860 and on records lodged at Melbourne council for a house George built at 51 Abbotsford Street West Melbourne. George Black, a Mason by trade became a successful builder during his life in Melbourne, but sadly his life was cut short at the age of 37 years in 1863. Significant building works carried out by George Black are listed below. The table below can be scrolled left to right if viewed on a mobile device. Building ID Location Owner Suburb Building State Building Type Builder Build Date (YYYY MM DD) Melbourne Council Notice of Intention to Build number 84278 Greeves St Black, George – …

Mr. Robert Bentley, a native of Staffordshire England, born around 1818, met and married Martha Redfern in 1841 in Staffordshire England. Robert and Martha, both about 23 years of age and seeking a better life for themselves sailed onboard the vessel named the ‘England’ bound for the exciting new colony called Port Phillip and arrived here 3 months later in July 1841 as assisted immigrants. Martha, a native of Derbyshire England, gave birth to 11 children here in Melbourne, Martha was 43 years of age when she had her final child. The Bentley family lived in Dudley Street West Melbourne in 1859, according to a ‘Notice of intent to build’ document lodged with Melbourne Council for a house Robert built at 86 Abbotsford Street West Melbourne. Robert Bentley, a Master Carpenter by trade became a successful home builder during his life in Melbourne. Significant building craft-work carried out by Robert Bentley are listed below. The table below can be scrolled left to right if viewed on a mobile device. Building ID Location Owner Suburb Building State Building Type Builder Build Date (YYYY MM DD) Melbourne Council Notice of Intention to Build number 72588 Abbotsford St Bentley, Robert – Dudley St …

Mr. Greenwood was a native of Yorkshire England. He sailed onboard the ship ‘Royal Charter’ from Liverpool England in 1856 at the age of 25 for a better life in the Port Phillip district. John, aged 27, met Sarah Hay (or Hey) aged 25 and they married in Melbourne in 1858. Sarah was also from Yorkshire and they had 4 children. The Greenwood family were long time North & West Melbourne locals and lived at 143 Roden Street West Melbourne prior to John’s death in 1915. Below is a list of significant building works carried out by John Greenwood. The table below can be scrolled left to right if viewed on a mobile device. Building ID Location Owner Suburb Building State Building Type Builder Build Date (YYYY MM DD) Melbourne Council Notice of Intention to Build number 71318 Franklin St east – next Mack’s Hotel Greenwood & Lee – Melbourne Melbourne VIC Factories Greenwood, John & Lee, Edward 1856 12 19 884 71238   A’Beckett St Greenwood, John – Albion Daw Mills, A’Beckett St Melbourne VIC Houses Greenwood, John 1859 03 7 185 71249 A’Beckett St east – 2 – Albion Sawmill   Greenwood, John – 2 A’Beckett St Melbourne …

Mr. Webster was a native of Ceres Fifeshire Scotland and his wife Agnes Lonie (or Lowrie) was from Cupar Fifeshire Scotland. Agnes arrived in Melbourne in 1854. They married in Melbourne in 1857 just after Walter’s arrival in the same year and Agnes gave birth to 9 children in Melbourne. The twenty-five-year-old Walter left the UK around 1857 on board the vessel ‘Matoaka’ for a better life in the Port Phillip district. Agnes who was only 20 years of age according to ships records, arrived on board the ‘Back Eagle’ in October 1854 along with her two sisters Celia, 18 and Margaret, 15. The Webster family lived in Raglan Street Hotham which runs between Errol and Leveson streets (now known as North Melbourne) in the 1860’s and the family later resided at ‘Edenside’ Princes street in Flemington prior to Walter’s death in 1890. Walter Webster, a wheelwright in Scoltland by trade, became a master builder during his life in Melbourne. Significant building works carried out by Walter Webster are listed below. The table below can be scrolled left to right if viewed on a mobile device. Building ID Owner Suburb Building State Building Type Builder Build Date (YYYY MM DD) …

James Carroll and his wife Mary Carroll (nee Newby) arrived from England to Port Phillip between 1848 and 1855. They settled on the eastern side of Leveson Street North Melbourne near the corner of Byron Street at house number 98. Their historic Victorian era family home and their three next door neighbors historic homes have sadly all been demolished and replaced with a three storey concrete apartment block of some 23 flats in 2003. James and Mary had previously married in Liverpool England in 1848 prior to arriving in Melbourne. The marriage certificate stated James residence being Ireland while Mary’s residence being Liverpool. After arrival in Port Phillip, their children were born, they included Thomas in 1855, Sarah in 1859, Mary Jane in 1862, Lydia in 1864 and Catherine Carroll in 1868. We see from an entry in the Argus 7th October 1859 that James Carroll, was encouraged by 91 local Hothamites to run for a seat on the Hotham Municipal Council and he was successful in doing so (1). Carroll went on to serve for the Eastern Ward of Hotham Council and was a lively participant in Council business for 24 years. (2) At the time of his election …

Admiral of the English Fleet Edward Hawke was the son of Edward Hawke, a barrister and Elizabeth Hawke (née Bladen). Hawke benefited from the patronage of Colonel Martin Bladen, a Member of Parliament and his maternal uncle. In 1737 Hawke married Catherine Brooke; they had three sons and one daughter. During his lifetime Hawke went on to achieve a victory over a French fleet at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in November 1759 during the Seven Years’ War, preventing a French invasion of Britain. He developed the concept of a Western Squadron, keeping an almost continuous blockade of the French coast throughout the war. Admiral Hawke was influential in the decision to give Captain James Cook command of his first expedition that left in 1768. When at a meeting in the Royal Geographical Society it was suggested that a civilian should lead the expedition Hawke is supposed to have remarked that, he would sooner have his right hand cut off than allow this to happen. Cook named a series of prominent places that he came across in the ‘New World’ after Hawke as a sign of his gratitude. Towards the end of their life, Edward and Catherine Hawke had a …

William Donovan William Donovan was a significant person in North Melbourne in the late 1800s. In 1867 he purchased land and built a house in Wood Street. At this time he was described as a “labourer”. By 1888 he warranted a listing in “Victoria and its Metropolis”, published to mark 50 years of settlement (page 719). When he died in 1898 he owned 16 houses in North Melbourne. A lane off Wood Street is named after him. Donovan was born in Limerick, Ireland on the 15th of August 1839. In 1860 he sailed to Melbourne on the “Great Tasmania”, no doubt to seek a better life. On the ship`s manifest he was listed as a “labourer”. After ten months in the carting business he travelled to New Zealand and worked in mining there for four years. On his return to Melbourne in 1865 he started a carting business with one horse and dray. In 1867 Donovan was able to buy land in the newly subdivided Wood Street on Hotham Hill. He initially built a two room wooden house and stables at what was to become 18 Wood Street. He was the second resident of Wood Street which was gazetted in …