In 1837 the surveyors blazed their marks on the land of the Woiworung between the Merri Creek and the Moonee Ponds Creek, creating the outline of present-day Coburg. At first called Pentridge, the district was a rural shire for the early part of its history, growing hay for the horses which provided Melbourne’s transport. There were dairy farms, piggeries and Chinese market gardens, and a penal stockade located there in 1850 which offended the local’s sense of decency. The residents, wealthy people, yeomen farmers, retail traders, formed a cohesive community, profiting from the good times of the gold rush and land boom, and supporting each other through the 1890s depression and the First World War. The train and tram lines were extended to Coburg, and in the Melbourne building boom of the 1920s houses were being erected at the rate of three a day. The newcomers were mostly skilled tradesmen and their families who brought with them progressive ideas and the urge for self-improvement. In the following years Coburg was the first municipality in Victoria to introduce various infant welfare measures, and the first to have an annual arts festival. A number of threads can be traced through Coburg’s history. One is the basalt landscape, with its fine black soil for agriculture and its bluestone for building. Another is the dominating presence of Pentridge Gaol, which appropriated the district’s original name. Richard Broome has used many sources to tell the history of Coburg. Most vivid are the recollections of older residents, whose memories provide intimate glimpses of the past, as Coburg has slowly altered from a sleepy rural outpost to a dormitory suburb with strong working class and ethnic traditions.

CONTENTS
Geology p1. Aborigines – Woiworung p4-32. Pentridge Village – survey, sale and naming p33. First European settlers p40. Social tensions (classes) p55. Domestic life p59. The growth of community life p60. The stimulus of gold p60. Religion, churches p66. The National School p75. Inns and public houses (hotels) p80. Pentridge Rifle Corps p82. Community services p86. Coburg Cemetery p90. Change of name to Coburg p96. Pentridge [Prison] Stockade p98. Samuel Barrow p99. John Giles Price p107. Occupations p126. Farming p127. Quarrying p130. Wealth and the wealthy p135. Father Charles O’Hea p138. The Grove p139. Railway p142. Subdivisions p143. 23-25 and 45-47 The Grove p145. 130 Rennie Street p146. 7 Hudson Street p146. 21 Station Street p146. Churches and religion p149. 400-404 Sydney Road p150. 436-442 Sydney Road p150. Industry, factories p151. 1890s Depression p153. Sport p157. Arts p160. Mechanics’ institute p160. Chinese market gardeners p161. Farming, agriculture p163. George Hodson and his poultry farm p167. Local government, council p173. Increased traffic (cars) p175. Railway p176. 27 Cope Street p176. 43 Wilson Street p176. Trams p177. Housing p179. 70 Nicholson Street p179. Infant mortality p180. Parks p181. Children p183. Schools p188. World War One p191. Returned Services League (RSL) p195. Influenza (flu) epidemic p196. Truby King Centre, 336a Sydney Road East (now Elm Grove) p197. Donald McDonald and McDonald Recreation Reserve p198. 1920s p199. Undeveloped areas p199. War Service Homes Commission p202. Industrialisation, factories p204. Town Hall p206. Housing estates p207. La Rose Estate p208. Merlynston Estate and Captain Donald Bain p209. Robert Irvine, builder p211. Progress Hall / Theatre p212. Mount (Mt) Sabine, West Breen, Westbreen Hall p213. Coburg at work (working class) p215. Lincoln Mills p216. Factories p218. Walker’s Stores p220. Local government p221. Frank Keane p222. Long serving councillors p223. William Duggan p223. Recreation p224. Football p226. Cycling p229. 1930s Depression p232. Industry 1930s p244. Hosiery p245. Sydney Road shops p247. Health, disease p253. Maurice Blackburn p257. Frank Keane p258. Charles Mutton p258. Arts p261. Second World War p262. Cr Stanley Grey p263. Pentridge Prison p267. Post-war housing p303. Expanding industry and commerce p307. Parking p310. Football controversy and local government p318. Sport p323. Creeks p325. Lake p326. Olympic pool p326. Merri Creek p327. Parks p327. Library p327. Immigrants, ethnic groups p329. Local government p335. Appendix: list of Roads Board chairmen, Shire of Coburg presidents, and Mayors of the Borough of Coburg and City of Coburg p340. Notes p342. General index p357. Index of persons p362.

ILLUSTRATIONS
The geology of Coburg (map) x. John Pascoe Fawkner, Melbourne and Coburg pioneer p18. William Thomas in later life p23. Coburg’s first landowners: a section of an original Jika Jika parish map p34. Coburg’s first land sales (table) p35. Henry Boorn Foot who named the area Pentridge p39. Farquhar McCrae, pioneer of Pentridge Village p44. La Rose (now Wentworth House, 22 Le Cateau Street) sketch by Judy Parkinson as it appears today p44. Abel and Elizabeth Thorpe: their farm, Newlands, sketched by W.H. Jarrett, 1853 p47. ‘Squatter’s lookout’ at present-day Balloan Street, folklore claims it was built in the 1840s to spy aborigines p47. Acres under cultivation, Port Phillip 1845 (table) p49. Abel Greenwood when Coburg Shire President 1898 p61. The Stockade, Pentridge c1851 p63. Glencairn, residence of Robert Mailer (6 Craigrossie Avenue) built in c1859 as it looked after renovations in 1911, sketch by Tom Long p65. Lyndhurst Hall (44 Walhalla Street) sketch p65. Size of Pentridge’s rateable properties 1865 (table) p65. Occupations of Pentridge residents 1857 (table) p66. Wesleyan (Methodist) Chapel, Bell Street, 1849 p68. Holy Trinity [Anglican Church], Sydney Road p71. The 1874 addition to the Bell Street Common School p79. Members of the Pentridge Volunteer Rifle Corps in 1861, Captain (later Colonel) William Champ is third from the left p83. Sydney Road, Coburg, 1869, kerb and guttering flanks the mud p87. Newlands Road Bridge in 1961 just before its conversion to pedestrian traffic p88. Blacksmith shop of James Murphy, Sydney Road East, c1865, Murphy’s two children are on the right and Murphy third from left p91. Coburg Shire Offices and public hall p93. Monsignor Charles O’Hea p97. ‘Stockade at Pentridge Good Friday 1853’ by J.H. Jarrett p99. General plan of penal stockade, Pentridge 1854 (map) p104. John Price 1853 p107. William Champ p114. Pentridge Stockade: rear elevation drawing of A Division or the Panopticon (now ‘B’) p117. The building of ‘B’ Division (now ‘A’) c1860 p117. Hooded prisoners in the Panopticon 1867 p119. The Panopticon’s exercise yards 1873 p119. Prisoner’s cell in ‘A’ Division (now ‘B’), the chains indicate the man was undergoing secondary punishment 1873 p119. Prisoners spinning woollen yarn 1867 p119. Occupations of Coburg’s ratepayers 1875 (table) p127. Agricultural production in Coburg 1870 (table) p128. Coburg quarrymen p129. The Wales Quarry in East Brunswick p130. Average size of probate of major occupational groups in Coburg 1854-92 (table) p135. Holt’s Grocery, Sydney Road west near Reynard Street about 1885 p137. Coburg in the late 19th century (map) p140. Moreland Railway Station p143. The polychrome brick and laced magnificence of 45-47 The Grove p145. Unique freestanding terraces in Hudson Street, built in 1888 p147. The American cottage of Abraham Tyler Thomson, 21 Station Street p147. Coburg Post Office c1900, sketched from an old photo by Bill Beasley p148. Coburg Fire Station, officers and their boney charger, Victoria Street p150. Henry Benson, quarry manager and shire president 1891 p152. William McKay, carrying empty milk cans on the way home from school c1900 p157. 1894 Boyle and Scott Trophy premiership team: Players only, left to right, back row: W. Warrick, A. Smith. Middle row: W. Dunstone, R. Don, P. O’Shannessy, Ramsey Mailer, George Pearce, N. Irwin. Front row: J. Murray, J. Honeybone, A. McKenzie, Club President Robert Mailer is almost certainly the one seated immediately to the left of the trophy p159. Sydney Road, looking north from Victoria Street c1900 p164. Merribank Farm of McAskill, Merri Creek, Newlands p164. George Hodson c1900 p167. Jacob Hoare, the herdsman, 1915 p170. Coburg’s first mayor, Thomas Greenwood (centre) flanked by Cr Alexander Campbell (left) and Cr John McCrory 1905 p172. Coburg becomes a town: celebrations on Sydney Road at Bell Street 1910 p173. Coburg Council watercart 1915 p175. Horse tram outside St Paul’s [Catholic Church, Sydney Road], c1900 p177. Sydney Road electric tram passing the Corner Hotel 1921 p179. Joseph Beckwith and friends, Victoria Street p181. Coburg Boys’ Naval Brigade c1908. Felix Shore, in the dark cap, second front row, was the first to enlist from Coburg in the Great War and was Town Clerk of Coburg 1949-59 p184. Leo ‘Rooster’ Hodson p186. Iddo ‘Snowy’ Munro with his trainer, cycle-maker Andrew Johnston, after Munro’s record-breaking Warrnambool to Melbourne ride, October 1909 p186. The gardens at Bell Street Primary School. The twin 1858 and 1867 buildings can be seen at the rear p188. John Feddersen of Munro Street. He was gassed in the final hours of the war p193. Charles Skiller of Barrow Street, he was killed in action at Bullecourt, May 1917 p193. Amos Shepherd, carter for Warren’s Bakery p200. Coburg Railway Station hosted electric trains after 1920, sketch by Bill Beasley p203. The Town Hall, sketched by Bill Beasley p206. Suburban bliss: looking west from the backyard of 39 Mashoobra Street, Merlynston, 1924 p209. West Coburg Progress Hall (sketch) p212. Evelyn Peachey, Queen of Westbreen 1930, and her fundraising committee for the Westbreen Hall p213. Betty Roberts and friend [horse], East Coburg State School 1927 p214. Wedding portrait April 1928: Yootha and Arthur Peachey with sibling attendants Rona Rowland and Stanley Peachey p216. Dawn Manufacturing Company, Service Street, 1933 p219. The sophisticated image promoted by Walker’s Stores 1922 (sketch) p221. Frank Keane: Labor stalwart in Coburg for almost forty years p222. Coburg Ladies’ Croquet Club: Annie Cruise and Mary Reid, second and fourth from left p225. Reg Kelly takes his mandatory five-minute break with family and friends at Tallarook in the 100-mile cycling race from Coburg to Tallarook and back held by Coburg Amateur Cycling Club in 1928 p229. Harry Cruise and club supporters p230. Sustenance workers landscaped the northern bank of the [Coburg] Lake p238. The council’s vegetable distribution truck organized by Arthur Caesar, second from left p240. Elizabeth Walker (right), matriarch of Walker’s Stores, and her sister, Helen Bromley, Hocking Street 1934 p244. Lincoln Mills and Merlynston, looking north, 1930s (aerial photo) p245. Crusher plant at Queen’s Hill Quarry 1938 (now Parker Reserve) p246. The counters of G.J. Coles’ store [Coburg] where nothing was over 2s 6d p247. The glitter of Saturday night at the Plaza Theatre 1934 p249. Endless summer days in the Lake Reserve Wading Pool 1932 p250. Off to promenade about the Lake Reserve in their Sunday best, Myrle Glanfield and Arthur Burgdorf 1938 p252. Coburg centenary parade 1939 p255. H.P. ‘Horsepower’ Bennet, Principal of Coburg High School 1924-43 p256. Cr Alexander Campbell, Coburg’s longest serving councillor (1902-45) pictured in 1910 p256. Coburg branch of the Voluntary Aid Division march in a Melbourne wartime rally p265. Women prisoners [at Pentridge Prison] exercising the regulation three paces apart 1905 (sketch) p269. Prison workshop p271. Detail of an aerial view of Coburg 1921 [showing Pentridge Prison] and block plan drawn by Irene Marszal p274. Interior of ‘D’ Division, showing the first-floor bridge containing a trapdoor and with the beam above it that was used for hangings clearly visible p275. A ‘C’ Division cell, measuring 9 by 4.5 feet, with furnishings p277. Prisoners watch an exhibition tennis match at ‘B’ Division in their prison-made clothes p285. ‘F’ Division dormitory in 1964: prisoners were packed in like sardines. Lock-up and cell check, ‘D’ Division p296. The demolition of ‘C’ Division in 1974 p297. ‘A’ Division, 15 Dec 1978, the day ‘Chopper’ Reid and Jimmy Loughnan took to the roof p299. Walter Mitchell, Coburg Town Clerk from 1916 to 1948 p304. Jim Fleiner, barber p306. Coburg’s baby boom: Mayor Stanley Cole, Sister M. Cannon and baby Anne Odermatt 1949 p306. Sydney Road in recent times [1980s] p312. Moonee Ponds Creek encased in concrete at the Reynard Street Bridge with the Tullamarine Freeway beyond p313. Mervyn Harris, Coburg’s last blacksmith, Russell Street, 1970 p315. Charles and Jack Mutton in 1978 p319. The Mutton’s political adversaries: Cr Murray Gavin and son Peter Gavin MLA p319. Crs James Esslemont, Murray Gavin and Bryan Wells watch Town Clerk George Harman draw the name of the next mayor out of the hat in August 1974 p322. Coburg Pedal Club members 1964: from left: Raelene Boyle, Donna Doak, Colin Burling, Tom Purtell (President), Philip Burling, Pam Cowell and Ricky Boyle in front p325. Coburg Bowling Club members 1973: from left: Les Handley, David Davies, Stan Davis, Rex Parker and Les Ram p325. Guiseppe Oliveri, Matteo Lazzaro and Cr Murray Gavin play Briscolo at the Urquhart Street Italian Elderly Citizens’ Club p330. Demetrious Agelapos and Ismene Kavanikolaou celebrate the beginning of Lent at the Coburg Greek Elderly Citizens’ Club 1985 p330. Hatitce Bulut learns the Koran at the Coburg Mosque p333. Margaret Portelli (left), Mayor Athol Attwater and Gwen Joyce launch the CAB’s fourth community directory p337. Prime Minister and local member, Bob Hawke, at Coburg’s 125th anniversary council meeting, Feb 1984 p338.

INDEX selections:
Joseph Akeroyd. Harry Anderson. Anderson family. William Anketell. Anketell family. Jim Armstrong. William Barak. Thomas Barrett. Margaret Louisa Barrow. Samuel Barrow. John Batman. Francis Bell. Bell family. Henry Benson. Billi-bellari. Doris, Maurice Blackburn. Raelene Boyle. Boyle family. William Buckley. George Bull senior. Bull family. Caesar family. Alexander Cameron. Cameron family. Alexander Campbell. James D. Lyon Campbell. William Cash. Colonel William T. Champ. Hugh Childers. Patrick Clinch. Clough family. John Cole. Stanley Cole. Cole family. Rev. John Cooper. Frank Cox. T.J. Crouch. Harry Cruise. Cruise family. Henry E.P. Dana. Montague Dare. Davis family. William and Eliza Davis. Edward De Carle. Alfred De Chene. Derrimut. John Dihm. Peter Dredge. Dredge family. William Duggan. Caleb Dunstan. Dunstan family. Dr Carl Dyring. Stephen Egan. John Pascoe Fawkner. Henry Boorn Foot. Salvatore (Sam) Gandolfo. Murray Gavin. Peter Gavin. Frank Geach. John Lee Gill. Francis Gough. Abel Greenwood. Thomas Greenwood. Greenwood family. Allan Gutherie. Daniel Harding. John Harding. Robert J. (Bob) Hawke. John Hay. Robert Hoddle. Ernest George Hodson. Hodson family. Robert Irvine. John Keady. Frank Keane. Henry Buck Kendall. John B. Kendall. John Kyle. William Kyle. Iris Laing. George Langhorne. Charles La Trobe. Roy Lloyd. Michael Loeman. Agnes McCrae. Dr Farquhar McCrae. Georgiana McCrae. McCrae family. John McCrory. Donald McDonald. Duncan MacGregor. Robert Mailer. Archbishop Daniel Mannix. Rev. Dr John Mathew. Walter Mitchell. David Moore. Thomas Morgan. Andrew Murray. Murray family. Charles Mutton. Jack Mutton. Charles Adolphus O’Hea. William O’Meally. Peter O’Riley. Peter O’Shannessy. Yootha Peachey. Peachey family. Henry Peterson. John Giles Price. James Rea. Hugh Rennie. Jean Rennie. Henry Richards. James Robertson. Robertson family. George Robinson. Jane and Thomas Saunders. George Scott. Robert Sidebottom. William Sidebottom. Dr John Singleton. William Thomas. Elizabeth Thorpe. Charles Towers. H. (Pat) Veitch. Arthur Voice. Gerald Walle. Henry White. White family. May Whittaker. Robert Woolacott. William Woolacott. Valentine Wortley.

SURNAMES / FAMILY NAMES from the index:
Acheson. Agelapos. A’hearn. Ah Mow. Ah Tip. Aikman. Aitken. Akeroyd. Allan. Allen. Allison. Anderson. Andrews. Anketell. Anstey. Anthony. Armstrong. Arthur. Athorn. Atkinson. Attwater. Austin. Bachelor. Bain. Bait Bainger. Baker. Barak. Barber. Barrett. Barrow. Bartlam. Bass. Bateman. Bates. Batman. Battey. Bawden. Baxter. Bayliss. Beaumont. Beckwith. Beddome. Bedwell. Beer. Beg. Bell. Bellinger. Benbow. Bennett. Bennie. Benson. Berry. Betts. Billi-bellari. Birch. Bird. Bishop. Blackburn. Blackwood. Blizzard. Bloxham. Boase. Bolte. Borsari. Bourke. Bourns. Bowe. Boyle. Bradley. Breen. Bright. Brislin. Brodie. Brosnan. Brown. Browne. Bryant. Bryson. Buccheri. Buckley. Buckup. Budds. Budgery. Bugg. Bull. Bulut. Bunce. Burgdorf. Burke. Burling. Burt. Bush. Buzaglo. Caesar. Cain. Cairns. Calloway. Cameron. Campbell. Cannon. Cantlon. Carey. Carozzi. Carter. Casey. Cash. Caton. Cavanagh. Champ. Chandler. Chapman. Chickley. Childers. Chinchen. Christie. Claringbolt. Clark. Clarke. Clinch. Clough. Cobham. Cody. Cole. Condell. Condron. Congleton. Connelly. Constable. Coonan. Cooper. Cowell. Cox. Cramer. Crawford. Creedon. Croke. Crouch. Crowe. Crowley. Cruise. Culley. Cummings. Culley. Curacoine. Curr. Curtin. Cussen. Dack. Daly. Dana. Dare. Dark. Davies. Davis. Davitt. De Carle. De Chene. Deeker. Demetriou. Dennis. Derrimut. Devine. Diffen. Dight. Dihm. Dhulstron. Dillon. Doak. Dolling. Donald. Dougherty. Douglas. Dowling. Dredge. Duerdin. Duff. Duggan. Duncan. Dunne. Dunstan. Dutton. Dwerryhouse. Dyall. Dyring. Eckersall. Edgar. Edmonds. Edwards. Edmunds. Egan. Ekersall. Elder. Eldridge. Elliott. Elmslie. Esslemont. Evans. Ewins. Falkiner. Fawkner. Feddersen. Ferguson. Ferris. Flanagan. Fleiner. Fleming. Flemming. Flinders. Foot. Ford. Forrest. Forsyth. Francis. Freeland. French. Fry. Fuller. Furse. Gaffney. Gallagher. Gandolfo. Gardiner. Garland. Garrett. Gavin. Geach. Geary. Geddes. Gellibrand. Gelman. George. Gibson. Gill. Gillies. Gipps. Gleeson. Goodwin. Goold. Gough. Grace. Grant. Gray. Grindlay. Green. Greenwood. Greeves. Gregory. Grey. Griffith. Griffiths. Groom. Grundy. Grylls. Gurrenboop. Gutherie. Hailes. Halfpenny. Hall. Halsall. Hamilton. Hand. Handley. Hang Hi Ne Kee. Hanks. Hanlon. Harding. Hardy. Hargreaves. Harman. Harrington. Harris. Harrison. Hawdon. Hawke. Hay. Hayes. Heath. Hennegan. Helem. Henderson. Henshall. Hesse. Highett. Hill. Hindhaugh. Hinkin. Hintze. Hoare. Hoddle. Hodson. Holden. Holland. Hollingsworth. Hollins. Holmer. Holmes. Holton. Hoogen. Horsington. Hosken. Howat. Howe. Howell. Howie. Howitt. Hubbard. Huggan. Hume. Huntington. Hurlstone. Hutchison. Hutton. Hyatt. Hyde. Impey. Inglis. Ingram. Irvine. Irwin. Jackson. Jeffrey. Jenkinson. Jennings. Johnson. Johnston. Jones. Joyce. Jukes. Junker. Kavanckolaou. Kawohl. Keady. Keane. Keenan. Kelly. Kendall. Kennedy. Kennelly. Kenny. Kenyon. Kerley. Kerr. Kibby. Kidd. King. Kipling. Kirkland. Kirkwood. Kirston. Kitty. Knight. Kollarlook. Kyle. Laidman. Laing. Lamb. Lance. Lancelot. Lancey. Landells. Lang. Langhorne. Larnach. La Scala. La Trobe. Layh. Lazzaro. Lee. Leigh. Levey. Lewis. Lilburne. Lingham. Lip Tip Lee. Lloyd. Loch. Locke. Loeman. Long. Lonsdale. Love. Luby. Lugg. Lynn. McAlpine. McAskill. McCabe. McCleery. McCrae. McCrory. McDonald. McDonnell. McGowen. McInney. McHale. McKay. McKenzie. McKie. McKissock. McLaren. McLaughlin. McLean. McLeod. McMahon. McNicholl. McVean. McWhinney. MacDonald. MacGregor. Mahlstedt. Mackay. MacKenzie. Maconochie. MacRae. Mailer. Malcolm. Malone. Manley. Mannagh. Mannix. Mansergh. Maraczy. Marsh. Martell. Martin. Mason. Mathew. Mathie. Mayer. Meagher. Mehegan. Melville. Michell. Miles. Miller. Milliken. Milne. Mills. Mitchell. Molloy. Moloney. Montifore. Mooney. Moore. Morarty. Morgan. Morris. Morrison. Moss. Munro. Orlebar. Orme. Orpen. O’Shanassy. O’Shannessy. Papadopoulos. Pardy. Parker. Passfield. Paterson. Pattelino. Patterson. Pawsey. Peach. Peachey. Peacock. Pearce. Peers. Pentridge. Perry. Peterson. Phillip. Phillips. Pigdon. Pitt. Pizer. Plant. Ploog. Poleorang. Portelli. Porter. Powell. Prest. Price. Priestly. Purtell. Quantock. Quinn. Quirk. Ram. Rea. Rankin. Rapke. Rasmussen. Read. Reed. Regan. Reid. Rennie. Reynolds. Richards. Rigby. Ritchie. Ritson. Roberts. Robertson. Robinson. Roby. Rodda. Rogan. Rogers. Rolland. Rolleston. Ross. Rossi. Rowland. Rowlands. Rucker. Russell. Ryan. Salem. Sanger. Saunders. Schultz. Scott. Sedgman. Sgro. Shade. Shaftesbury. Shaw. Sheehan. Shepherd. Shore. Siantis. Sidebottom. Silverthorne. Sincock. Singleton. Skiller. Slee. Smeathman. Smith. Snowball. Sokolowski. Spalding. Spark. Sparkes. Spear. Speers. Spencer. Spicer. Stainsby. Stanford. Stanley. Stevens. Steward. Stewart. Stradbroke. Strange. Stanley. Stranwidge. Stubenrauch. Sturt. Suffolk. Talbot. Tancred. Tanner. Taylor. Thistlewaite. Thomas. Thompson. Thomson. Thorley. Thorpe. Tilden. Tipper. Tobin. Toner. Toomath. Towers. Truby. Truscott. Tuckey. Turnbull. Turner. Turnham. Turnley. ‘Uncle Archie’. Urquhart. Vaughan. Veitch. Virtue. Voice. Wakefield. Walker. Wallace. Walle. Walls. Walters. Walwyn. Ward. Warner. Warren. Warringalpoop. Waterfield. Waters. Watkins. Watson. Watt. Weavers. Webster. Wedge. Wells. Welsh. Westgarth. Weston. Weston-Smith. Westwood. Whatmore. Wheeler. Whipp. White. Whitehead. Whiteman. Whitham. Whitlam. Whittaker. Williams. Willis. Willoughby. Wills. Wilmot. Willson. Wilson. Winberry. Withall. Wood. Woods. Woolacott. Wooton. Worruck (D’Villiers). Wortley. Wrighte. Wydelong. Youl. Young.

Full index available on library computers.