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In 1864 Thomas Avis set up as a cabiniet-maker on the corner of Arden Street, straight across Errol Street from the Limerick Castle Hotel (licensed about 1866). The next year he added ironmongery to his business. Evidently he did well; for in 1877 we find him giving his name to a Terrace of six dwellings in Chapman Street. He registered his address as “6 Rara Avis Terrace, Chapman Street”. Whether he was joking or boasting, no one can say. But — shades of Horace, the Latin poet who coined the phrase — “Rara Avis” –in a satire some years B.C., and of Persius and Juvenal who used the phrase in their satires many years later! Anyhow, our Thomas was a “rare bird’ in North Melbourne. He was the only one of that name in the directories of his generation, and for many years after. Indeed, it is still a rare name. In today’s directory of Greater Melbourne there are only two of that name, unrelated to each other, neither a descendant of our Thomas nor living in North Melbourne. In 1886 Thomas married to Sarah Woodward, Victorian registration number 1783. By 1890 Thomas Avis’ address appears as “Avis Place, off …

Born Kirkoswald, Ayrshire, Scotland. An ancestor was a Privy Councillor to Mary, Queen of Scots. Arrived Melbourne, 21st August, 1852. Firm of McMeckan, Blackwood & Co. (founded 1853) conducted an agency for the steamship “Havilah” in Melbourne—Adelaide trade. Built own steamship “Omeo” (1858) which brought the cable for Cape Otway — Tasmania connection on maiden voyage from England. The same year opened up a regular Wellington (N.Z.) — Melbourne run. Developed a regular cargo-passenger service between Melbourne and Darwin (1870). “Omeo” carried men and equipment for cable to Java. Blackwood also led an active public life. President Chamber of Commerce, Commissioner of Harbour Trust, M.L.A. for West Melbourne, 1S64-1867. Active in Formation of Colonial Wool Merchants Association of London (1870) which strove hard, but in vain, for adoption of decimal currency and metric system of weights. Bought “Booabula” station in the Riverina, N.S.W., and retired from city life. His merinos took prizes in Melbourne and N.S.W., 1889-1909. Died at “Booalbula” 23rd January, 1908.(1) Blackwood Street North Melbourne was named in his honor. Source. (1) State Library of Victoria photographic archive – Albion. (2) Northern Advertiser Thursday, May 7, 1970. Blanchard collection, “What’s in a Name” at North Melbourne Library. (3) …

David Blair (1820-1899) born in Ireland of parents Thomas Blair and Jane Burns(1)  of Scottish descent. He began as a teacher, transferred to the Ordinance Survey of Ireland, being stationed in turn at Limerick and Cork. Moved to Southampton in 1841, where he lectured widely in support of the “Chartists”. He was an active Presbyterian Churchman with radical social ideas. He joined John Dunmore Lang’s contingent of train-ed clergy for New South Wales and arrived in Sydney in 1850, where he was ordained. He soon clashed with Lang and went on his way. He arrived in Melbourne, July 1852 and was subeditor on the “Argus” in 1854. Angered by the conservatism of that paper during the Eureka troubles, he joined the “raw, outspokenly egalitarian ‘Age’ “. Unremitting in advocacy of such principles as fully representative responsible government, and the complete separation of Church and State, especially in education; relentless in attack on inequality, the squattocracy and corrupt politicians; he made many enemies and some friends, especially among the diggers, whose fiery champion, in print and on platform, he never failed to be. A man of wide knowledge and relentless principles, he wrote and spoke profusely and in slashing style, on …

Lord Henry Brougham, who grew up amid the genteel poverty of Edinburgh. Graduating in Law, he practiced for some years at the Scottish Bar, after which he was called to the English Bar. Entering politics in 1809, he at once became a leading orator of the Whigs and the special opponent of Canning. At least one of the frequent clashes between these two great orators is famous in the annals of the British Parliament. For over 30 years Bougham played a prominent part in law reform, the improvement of education, the abolition of slavery and other social causes. He was responsible for having slavery declared a felony. His brilliant cross-examination and summation in defense of Queen Caroline when George IV sought a divorce gained him great popularity, the general opinion being that the King’s infidelities were far worse than those alleged against the Queen. Brougham was a founder of the Edinburgh Review and continued as one of its largest contributors. His faci1e, sometimes venomous, pen often drew blood from the Tories. By temperament, Brougham was unable to subordinate himself or his to party, demand. In his latter years this developed into so overbearing a manner and such reckless inconsistency that …

George Canning was born in London of Irish descent. He entered politics when 23 and rose to be one of a succession of great foreign Ministers. Under him, England broke with the so-called “Holy Alliance” of despotic European emperors, made it crumble. With brilliant oratory and skillful diplomacy, Canning championed liberal constitutional movements, abroad. Helping the South American colonies to political independence, he boasted “I called the New World into existence to redress the balance of the old”. So flexible — at times tortuous and even reckless, — was his diplomacy, that he often found himself walking a “razors edge”. But he never lost his balance. He also kept England out of war, which made him the hero of the middle classes. It meant much to the colonies also. In collusion The political parties of the day so faded into each other that on occasions Tories of the Left and Whigs of the Right found much in common. Canning and Brougham, sworn opponents, then appeared in collusion. To Tories of the Right this was “execrable treachery”. Canning’s staunch advocacy of Catholic emancipation also outraged the Protestant “establishment”. His enemies were many. So were his friends. Men of letters saw in …

Born in 1796 at Somerset, England. Within three years of settlement, Thomas Capel was selling locally brewed beer from Melbourne’s Yarra wharves. “Capel” became a tragic word in early Melbourne. Down near the wharf, Thomas Capel had his Britannia Brewery where “beer equal to anything in Melbourne” was sold for 2/-a gallon.” He sold out eventually and and went off to run a larger brewery in Sydney. His wife was to follow him when he was suitably settled. Towards the end of March, 1839, Mrs. Capel set out to rejoin her husband. The ship on which she sailed was wrecked. As far as was known at the time, there were no survivors. Persistent reports then began coming in of a white woman seen among aborigines in the vicinity of the wreck. Several parties went out at intervals to the rescue, but each time the elusive tactics of the aborigines outwitted them. In October 1847, the remains of a white woman and a young child were found in the region. The general belief was that this was all that was left of Mrs. Capel and a child born of one of her captors. The shock lingered long in the public memory.(2) …

Born Kensington, London, and began as a bank clerk. At the age of 17, he was in Quebec as a commission merchant for English manufacturers. Launched the first daily newspaper in Canada -“Montreal Advertiser” in which he espoused the cause of the French Canadians. This alienated his English advertisers and the paper had to close up. He returned to England in 1837 and was called to the Bar three years later. His publications on the colonisation of New Zealand led to his appointment as a puisne Judge in Wellington, N.Z., where he did important work in establishing a code of procedure for the Supreme Court and laying clown principles of land legislation. In 1854 he was in Australia and the following year was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council for South Bourke. As Attorney General (1857-1859) he drafted “the first efficient ballot legislation, giving shape to what came to be known as ‘Victorian Ballot’”. He also amended the Audit Act, thereby establishing the basis of existing audit legislation in Australia. He appeared in Court for the defense of the Ballarat “rebels” after “The Eureka Stockade” historical episode. Retiring from politics, he lectured in law at Melbourne University and in 1862 …

Between 1876 and 1896 Daniel Fallshaw and his two sons developed the north-west corner of O’Shanassy and Errol streets. They began by building two brick shops with dwellings above, now 191 and 193 Errol Street. Daniel (Jnr) occupied the one with a crockery ware house; Henry the other as a bedding and chair manufacturer. Two years later, Daniel (Snr) built a house for himself at 18 O’Shanassy Street, where he lived until 1898. In 1883 he built a bluestone and brick workshop, where he made high quality billiard tables, examples of which may still be seen in Melbourne. So great was the demand for these tables, that in 1887 the workshop was extended over 20 O’Shanassy Street. As a right-of-way for the workshop and the properties in Errol Street, a lane from Harris to to O’Shanassy Street was constructed in 1885. The contractor was Les Duncan; the cost £105/5/6 ($210.55). It was named Fallshaw’s Lane. In 1886 father and sons built two more shops with dwellings above in Errol Street, now 195 and 197. These were owned and rented by the family until 1903. Through the years there, was a variety of tenants – grocer, confectioner, boot-maker, tailor, greengrocer. James …

In March 1836, Major Mitchell set out from Sydney on his famous overland expedition that reached Portland, Victoria. Second in command of his party of 23 was Granville William Chctwynd Stapylton, (1800-1840), whose paternal grandfather was the fourth Viccount Chetwynd, Clerk of the Privy Council at the time of his death in 1821. En route from the present Harrow to Casterton, Mitchell crossed, inter alia, a tributary of the Glenelg River. The township of Chetwynd stands on this tributary today, about mid-way between Casterton and Edenhope. Chetwynd is an Irish Viscounty. Its seat is Berehaven (County Cork), the name applied to the most southerly of the three picturesque peninsulas of S.W. Ireland, which extend into the Atlantic. The waters of the beautiful Kenmure River and Bantry Bay wash its shores. Stapylton came to Australia in 1828 as assistant surveyor in New South Wales. He carried out a number of difficult surveys near Sydney and on the Western Plains from Bathurst. His work was highly praised by the Colonial Office and the Surveyor-General T. L. Mitchell. When Mitchell’s party returned to Sydney early In November, 1836, it was decided that Stapylton should go to Port Philip to work under the direction …

Patrick Costello, came to Port Phillip in 1840 from Ireland. After trying various occupations, he became one of Melbourne’s early innkeepers. When he married Catherine Donovan and made his home at 70 Canning Street, the course of his life changed. From then on he is listed as a contractor. At one stage Isaac Gidney and William Donovan,between them, owned nearly all the land bounded by Abbotsford, Canning, Dryburgh and Wood streets. Gidney was a horse exporter and used to break in horses on one of his allotments in Canning Street. Donovan was a contractor and had stables, enclosed with a six-foot high board fence, about where Ozanam House now stands in Flemington Road. Costello evidently married into the Donovan business as well as into the family. In 1855 he was elected to the city council for the Latrobe ward. Four years later he was returned member for North Melbourne in the Legislative Assembly. In 1861 he was expelled from Parliament for offences committed in a Mornington by-election. A sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment followed. Petitions from his wife, various members of Parliament, the mayor and city councillors and many citizens secured his release. His membership of the city council ceased. …