In the 150 years since white people settled in Victoria, that part of it which is now the City of Preston has changed from an aboriginal hunting ground to a developing District Centre within the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme. In this book the authors’ start Preston’s story long before white settlers came. Preston’s landscape, which developed over countless millions of years, had a particular effect on its history. It affected the Aborigines who lived there, and the white settlers who came later. Preston’s first white settlers had profitable resale rather than settlement in mind. But settlers soon came, and Preston farmers found markets in Melbourne. As Melbourne grew, Preston changed from a separate village to a suburban shire, with work in bacon factories, tanneries and brickworks. Preston played its part in the Land Boom days of the 1880s, the era of Marvellous Melbourne, and the bust of the 1890s, the era of not-so-marvellous Melbourne. By the turn of the [20th] century, Preston was gradually being supplied with such essential services as water, sewerage, drainage, electricity, telephones and transport. Preston people suffered during the Great War of 1914-18, as many of their sons, fathers, brothers and uncles went away, some never to come back. In the 1920s its shire status gave way to borough, then town, then city, but its progress faltered again in the terrible depression of the 1930s. That had hardly ended when Preston people had to face the Second World War of 1939-45, and possible Japanese air raids and invasion. After 1945, Preston began rapidly to make up for the lost time of two world wars and the worst depression in history. Thousands of migrants started a new life there and the population grew rapidly. New landmarks appeared, PANCH [Preston and Northcote Community Hospital], Northland and La Trobe University among them. In the early 1980s, Melbourne’s metropolitan planners confirmed Preston as one of Melbourne’s 14 District Centres, for special development, because its well-developed facilities already served an area which extended well beyond its own city boundaries.

CONTENTS
First Settlers: Landscape in its history (geology) p3. Map: geology p4. Map: South Preston cross section Darebin - Merri Creeks: showing the extent of basalt flows p8. How the landscape influenced settlement and development p8. Aborigines (Kurnaje - Bereeing tribe, Woiwurong speaking, Kulin People) p10. Aboriginal artefacts p14. First land boom p16. Map: First land sales 1838-9 p17. First white settlers p19. Thomas Farrell p19. Samuel Jeffrey p19. Map: The farmers of Jika Jika 146 1850 p20. Map: How Preston's street pattern emerged: land sold 1856-63 p24. Wood family p25. Preston in the 1960s: the farming era p27. Map: South Preston 1860 p27. From village to suburb: First steps in local government p35. First schools p39. Bacon helped Preston prosper p43. Ample water brought tanners (tanneries) p51. Braithwaite's tannery p51. Broadhurst's tannery p53. Zwar's tannery p54. Howe's tannery p55. Work in a tannery p56. Brickworks (bricks) p59. Preston Brick and Tile Company: opening p62. Boom: the 1880s p63. Map: Settlement pattern 1894 p65. Map: Estates offered for sale 1888 p70. Bust: the 1890s p73. Politics p77. Transport: coach, tram and train p78. Keeping a horse p84. Walker family photos p86. Suburban Shire [local government]: Waiting for essential services p93. Water p93. Sewerage p95. Drainage p96. Gas p97. Electricity p97. Post, Postal services p98-9. Fire Brigade 100-101. Preston in 1907 p103. Map: location of major industries 1907 p104. Building churches p109. Map: Early schools and churches p110. Church of Christ: built in one day p114. War 1914-1918 p117. Map: Settlement pattern 1918 p124. Developing City: Building boom in the 1920s p127. Map: Shops 1930 p128. Map: Settlement pattern 1930 p135. Better transport: electric trains and trams p137. Preston becomes a city [local government] p145. Premier Pottery p147. Cinemas and theatres p149. Star Theatre p151. The Great Depression p153. Second World War 1939-1945 p163. Post-war development p173. Map: settlement pattern 1945 p174. Map: settlement pattern 1963 p182. PANCH (Preston and Northcote Community Hospital) p185. The Bullants: Preston Football Club p190. Northland Shopping Centre p193. La Trobe University p201. Map: master plan for La Trobe University showing the ring road arrangement p202. Bundoora Park p207. Oakover Hall p214. Map: Booth's Oakover Estate, West Preston (real estate agent's subdivision poster 1938) p215. Preston's future as a district centre p217. History tour of Preston (historic walk, drive) p221. Preston's Presidents and Mayors 1872-1985 p227.

ILLUSTRATIONS (selected)
Endpapers: Official opening carnival, Edwardes Lake, 5 April 1920. Aerial photo of East Preston, with Northland top right p2. La Mascotte Estate 1920s p6. The Junction p8. Wood’s Store p21. Timothy Shepherd and his wife p23. Shepherd’s house, on Shepherd’s Run, area between Bell Street, Murray Road, High Street and Merri Creek p25. Doolan’s Forge, Plenty Road p28. 1902 scene near the corner of Bell Street and Gilbert Road p31. Design sketch of the town hall with clock tower that was never built p34. Preston Shire Hall during construction p35. Presidents of the Shire of Preston: Isaac Barrow 1896-7; Alfred Robertson 1901-2; John Howse 1903-4; Charles Stanlake 1905-6; James Paterson 1907-8 p36. Early pupils of Tyler Street School p38. Tyler Street Primary School p39. Assembly at Tyler Street School celebrates extensions in 1920s p40. Tyler Street School pupils p41, 42. Preston’s first bacon factory, opened 1862 by William Watson and William Paterson (pictured) [Watson and Paterson’s, corner of Plenty Road and Dundas Street] p44. William Paterson p45. Hutton’s premises p47. J.C. Hutton p47. Hutton’s Factory p48. An early Hutton’s truck p49. Charles Nodrum and Co. Tanners p50. Colonel Braithwaite p51. Zwar’s Parkside Tannery p52. J. Howard Boot Warehouse p53. Hales and Masters Boot and Shoe Manufacturers p55. Braithwaite’s Factory p56. Howe’s Tannery p57. Scott’s Brickworks p59. Clifton Brickworks p60. Council Club Hotel, built 1888, north-west corner of High Street and Cramer Street, demolished 1960s p68. Robert Harper; Henry Beard; James Membrey p77. Clifton Hill – Northcote – Preston cable tram p79. Rose, Shamrock and Thistle Hotel, Plenty Road p83. W.T. Rowe, Coachbuilder, Wheelwright and General Blacksmith p84. Ballander’s bread cart p85. Stephenson’s Fruit and Vegetable Mart p85. Walker family photo album p86. Preston reservoir under construction p92. Rose, Shamrock and Thistle Hotel p96. Preston Post Office, opened 1908, demolished 1970 p98. Preston Post Office opened 1971 p99. Preston Fire Brigade p100. Looking north, and south, from the Town Hall roof 1907 p102. Laying the foundation stone for the Preston Library p103. Allchin’s Store, corner of Bell Street and Plenty Road p105. Constable Dan p106. Preston’s original All Saints Anglican Church p109. St Mary’s Anglican Church, East Preston p111. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bell Street p112. Preston Methodist Church, corner of High Street and Tyler Street p113. Church of Christ, built in one day p114. Private Albert Madden, of Flett Street p116. Preston soldiers in Egypt p117. Anzac Day parade 1920s p120. Braithwaite Tannery employees photographed during the Great War p121. Laying of the foundation stone for Preston Memorial Hall 1921 p122. Preston’s Free Public Library and RSL Hall p123. High Street in the 1920s looking north towards Gower Street, and looking south from Murray Road p129. Test between two types of steamroller, High Street, 1924 p130. Preston Town Hall, Memorial Hall and Post Office in the 1920s p131, 133. Benambra Estate, ready for sale in the 1920s p134. Bidders for La Mascotte Estate p134. Aerial view of Preston looking south 1920s p136. Opening day on the Preston tram lines 1920 p137. Tram no. 1, Plenty Road near Bell Street p138. East Preston tram terminus, Tyler Street, 1922 p140. Plenty Motors p141. Preston Tramway Workshops, built 1920s p142. Plans for City Hall p144. Councillor Crispe p145. The Governor of Victoria, Lord Somers, reads the proclamation of the City of Preston at Cramer Park p146. Arch at the southern entrance to Preston to mark its proclamation as a city p146. Premier Pottery vase p147. The Star Theatre, High Street p150. Vehicles: Ern Jensen, Undertaker; J.W. Bartrop, Grocer; E. Gardiner, Boat and Rail p156. Cr Llewellyn Jones and Mrs Jones p158. South Preston Methodist Football Club 1930 p160. Mayoress’s reception, Town Hall, 1929 p161. Chris Rainbow p162. Painting parts for pontoon bridges, Preston Tramway Workshops, Second World War p163. Private Bruce Kingsbury VC, of Gilbert Road p165. Preston Town Hall, lit up for the Queen’s visit 1954 p172. High Street from the Town Hall roof 1966 p175. Aerial photo, East Preston 1946 p176. Aerial photo, High Street and Cheddar Road, Reservoir 1946 p177. Aerial photo, Reservoir 1946 p178. Aerial photo, Reservoir 1963 p179. Nissen huts at the migrant camp, east Preston, near Northland p180. A post-war class at Tyler Street School [1947] p181. Official opening of PANCH by Henry Bolte 1960 p184. Premier Bolte congratulates the Mr and Mrs Wilson, parents of the first babies (twins) born at PANCH p185. PANCH during construction p186. Sir Benjamin Rank, foundation chairman of the Victorian Plastic Surgery Unit, based at PANCH p188. A patient arrives at PANCH; students and staff at the PANCH School of Nursing p189. Roy Cazaly was Preston coach 1931 p190. Site for Northland just before building started and taking shape p192-4. Opening day advertisements p195. Opening day, Northland Mall and Northland Market p196-9. Part of the site for La Trobe University p200. A barbecue, library tree-planting day, La Trobe University 1965 p203. Moat under construction and completed; Borchart [Borchardt] Library early 1972 p205. Round topped shed at Bundoora Park p206. Aerial view of Reservoir and Bundoora Park 1963 p208. Brick cottage at Bundoora Park p209. Cow bale, Stables, Bundoora Park p210. Booth’s Oakover Estate map; Abraham Booth p215.

SURNAMES / FAMILY NAMES from the index:
Adams. Alexander. Allchin. Anstey. Arndt. Arnold. Bagley. Baillieu. Barrow. Barry. Batman. Beard. Beauchamp. Bell. Blackie. Bloomfield. Boadle. Bolte. Bolton. Booth. Braithwaite. Brack. Bransgrove. Brennan. Brewer. Broadhurst. Brown. Butler. Cain. Campbell. Carey. Carr. Carroll. Carson. Cazaly. Chidgeny. Clarke. Clifton. Clinick. Cook. Cooper. Collins. Coulthard. Crispe. Davidson. Dennis. Dole. Duffield. Edgar. Edmonds. Farmer. Farrell. Fethers, Denton. Fink. Forster. Fraser. Freeburn. Froebel. Fury. Fyfe. Gair, Mackay. Galbally. Glenn. Goodwin. Gower. Grey. Hamilton. Hannah. Hanna. Harper. Harris. Harrison. Hawkins. Hellings. Hopper. Howard. Holden. Howe. Howse. Hull. Hunt. Hurlstone. Hutton. Jackson. James. Jeffrey. Jeffries. Johnson. Jones. Kingsbury. Kupsch. Lane. Lia. Lonsdale. McCarthy. McCauley. McGann. McKay. McLean. McMahon. McPherson. Madden. Mannix. May. Membrey. Miller. Mitchell. Moore. Nodrum. O’Brien. O’Grady. Olney. Parsons. Paterson. Payne. Perry. Phipps. Pizzey. Poole. Prowse. Rainbow. Ralston. Rank. Ray. Rennie. Robertson. Ruthven. Schneider. Schou. Scott. Sharland. Sheffield. Shepherd. Simmonds. Simpson. Smith. Spark. Stanlake. Steele. Story. Swaine. Swain. Sweet. Thomas. Thompson. Tyler. Vincent. Walker. Walkerden. Warner. Warr. Watson. Wearne. Webb. Webber. Weir. Wilkinson. Wilson. Wingfield. Winslade. Wood. Woods. Woolford. Wray. Wurth. Young. Yuncken, Freeman Brothers and Griffiths. Ziebell. Zwar.

Full index available on library computers: Electronic resources \ indexes (alphabetically by name of place).