Contents include: Aborigines, flora, fauna, environment p5. Road construction p17. Land sales, settlement p35. Window dressing p59. Hawkers, barrowmen p62. Sectarianism p73. Conscription campaign p83. War p90. Boer War memorial / monument p92. Depression p112. Politics, radicalism, communism p135. Free speech movement, banning of open air meetings p144. Noel Counihan, in cage, ‘Shorty’ Patullo p147. Multiculturalism, migrants, migration p157. Muslims p169. Decline in the 1980s and 1990s p180. Barkly Square Shopping Centre p182. Full index available on library computers.

From its conception as a line on a survey map to today’s multicultural streetscape, Sydney Road remains constant but ever-changing. It is a road where the rhythms of daily life are played out and where old animosities and new quarrels are staged. Yet it is also where notions of community and harmony are nurtured. ‘Almost pretty’ explores the road’s history, from the Wurundjeri-willam to the present day, from commerce and sectarianism to war and radical politics. More than anything, it tells the intriguing story of Brunswick and Coburg, the two suburbs it traverses.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments iv. Table of contents v.
Introduction p1.
Chapter 1: Genesis p5. Natural history. Aborigines.
Chapter 2: Hard labour: the making of Sydney Road p17.
Chapter 3: The tide of progress p34.
Chapter 4: Grasping the opportunity with both hands p53. Commerce.
Chapter 5: The barbed-wire entanglement of sectarianism p73.
Chapter 6: ‘Lest we forget’ p90. Boer War. World War One.
Chapter 7: Lean days: life during the Depression p112.
Chapter 8: Those radicals! p135. Politics. Communists.
Chapter 9: ‘One community, proudly diverse’ p157. Migrants.
Chapter 10: Sydney Road, the place to go p180.
Notes p199.
Bibliography p209.
Index p217.

ILLUSTRATIONS
Map of Sydney Road in Brunswick and Coburg vi.
The grassy plains of Brunswick and Coburg as they would have looked prior to European settlement, with Kangaroo, Tussock and Spear Grass and River Red Gum p9.
Banksia marginata, now extinct in the local area (Brian Bainbridge) p10.
Drooping Sheoak [Allocasuarina verticillata] (Brian Bainbridge) p11.
Southern brown bandicoot [Isodou obesuslus] (Brian Bainbridgep12.
Plains wanderer [Pedionous torquatus], once plentiful but now extinct in the local area (Brian Bainbridge) p13.
Pentridge Stockade 1849 (La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria) p23.
Sydney Road, Brunswick c1863 (La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria) p31.
Brunswick’s Retreat Inn, first called Lambert’s Retreat Inn (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p33.
Sale of Crown Portions in Brunswick and Coburg [land sales] (Coburg Historical Society) p35.
Early housing in Brunswick (Keith Johnstone) in: Almost pretty: p37.
Occupations for Pentridge, Brunswick and Merri Creek, as listed in the Port Phillip Almanac and Directory for 1847 p40.
Coburg’s old post office, Sydney Road, 1878 (Coburg Historical Society) p42.
Charles and Elizabeth Barningham and family (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p44.
Monument commemorating Brunswick’s brick and clay industries, located on the corner of Sydney Road and Michael Street p45.
Coburg’s horse drawn tram (Coburg Historical Society) p48.
Staff outside Brunswick’s cable tram depot 1887 (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p50.
Swinbourn’s Planing and Moulding Mills and Factory, Brunswick (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p51.
Post Office Hotel, corner Sydney Road and Reynard Street, c1855 (Coburg Historical Society) p54.
Looking east down Brunswick Road from Sydney Road c1861 (La Trobe picture collection, State Library of Victoria) p56.
Walkers Store, Sydney Road, Coburg (Coburg Historical Society) p58.
R. Davison’s grocers, Sydney Road, Brunswick 1863 (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p60.
The hawker Thomas Zuzulich (Pat Lewis) p63.
Victorian Broom Company hawking brooms (Moreland City Libraries – Coburg) p66.
Looking south down Sydney Road from Blyth Street c1908 (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p68.
Sydney Road c1915 (Moreland City Libraries – Coburg) p69.
Coles, Sydney Road, c1927 (Coburg Historical Society) p72.
Coburg’s Uniting Church, corner of Sydney Road and Bell Street (Mary Hassouh, Mercy College) p75.
People assembled at the intersection of Sydney Road and Brunswick Road for the Orange March 1896 (Newspaper collection, State Library of Victoria) p80.
Aerial view of Coburg with Pentridge Prison in the foreground, and Sydney Road and Champ Street in the centre, 1921 (Moreland City Libraries – Coburg) p84.
Scenes from the ‘Murphys and O’Callaghans’ [film] (newspaper collection, State Library of Victoria) p86.
Empire Theatre, Sydney Road, Brunswick 1915 (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p87.
Unveiling of the Boer War Memorial statue in front of Brunswick Town Hall 1906 (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p91.
Troops marching along Sydney Road, Coburg, during World War One (Moreland City Libraries – Coburg) p95.
Town of Coburg, souvenir of the dinner tendered to Returned Soldiers by the Mayor and citizens of Coburg, 1919 (Coburg Historical Society) p98.
‘Brunswick welcomes the Anzacs, 1914-1918’ commemorative arch located near the intersection of Sydney Road and Brunswick Road (Mrs Peters) p101.
A.R.P. Civil Defence personnel, c. 1940 (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p103.
Digging air raid shelters, 1939-1945 (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p105.
Holy Trinity School bricked up in World War Two (Coburg Historical Society) p106.
Warden’s Air Raid Damage report form, World War Two (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p107.
2005 Anzac Day march along Sydney Road, Coburg p110.
Charity drive badge 1923 p113.
Cheap bread at Coburg Market 1930 (Coburg Historical Society) p114.
Victoria’s brick industry 1923-1933 [table] p115.
Employment and Sustenance Registration Card (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p117.
Order to Work Form 1936 [sustenance] (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p118.
Vegetable distribution for the unemployed in the early 1930s, Coburg City Council (Moreland City Libraries – Coburg) p123.
Butchers, Clinch and Gray, giving away free meat to the unemployed 1931 (newspaper collection, State Library of Victoria) p125.
Sydney Road, Coburg 1929 (Moreland City Libraries – Coburg) p129.
Sarah Sands Hotel, Brunswick, corner of Sydney Road and Brunswick Road (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p132.
Noel Counihan addressing a crowd from a cage during the 1933 free speech campaign, Sydney Road, Brunswick (newspaper collection, State Library of Victoria) p147.
Free Speech Monument, located on the lawn of the mechanics’ institute on the corner of Sydney Road and Glenlyon Road (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p148.
Communist candidate for the 1946 Brunswick municipal election [Norm McLoughlin] (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p149.
Brunswick Town Hall 2003: ‘One world peacefully diverse’ banner p151.
Brunswick peace vigil next to the mechanics’ institute’s free speech monument 2003 (www.takver.com) p152.
National Action members at Brunswick’s Neo-Nazi rally 1994 p154.
John Hitchins and Robert Maher standing at the front of their fruit shop in Sydney Road, Coburg (Coburg Historical Society) p162.
A section of Brunswick Baths mural 1985 (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p163.
Italian President Saragat visit to Coburg 1967 (newspaper collection, State Library of Victoria) p165.
Opening of Sparta Place, Brunswick 1988 (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p168.
1960 citizenship ceremony at the Brunswick Town Hall (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p170.
A section of Brunswick Baths mural 1985 (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p172.
Employment vacancies in the local textile industries 1946 p174.
Sydney Road Street Party, Brunswick 2004 p179.
Dodds Building, Sydney Road, Brunswick circa 1980 (Moreland City Libraries – Brunswick) p181.
Dancer during Coburg’s go-go dancing competition 1966 (newspaper collection, State Library of Victoria) p183.
The scene of the murder of Lewis Moran, [Brunswick Club], Sydney Road 2004 (the Herald and Weekly Times photographic collection) p189.
An artist’s impression of Mariana Hardwick Emporium [Hoopers Store] (Mariana Hardwick) p196.
The transformation of Pentridge Prison into Pentridge Piazza (Marian Bathan, Mercy College) p197.
Location:
Brunswick Library history room 994.51 DON
Coburg Library history room 994.51 DON

INDEX
Aborigines p5, 6, 8, 9, 11-16, 18, 26, 28, 38, 159, 179.
Advertisements p58, 60-61, 87, 97, 105, 132, 190-91, 194.
Africans p160-61, 164, 171, 176-77.
Albert Street p25, 37, 47, 56, 72, 132.
Albion Street p32, 55, 110, 158.
Alternate Sydney Road p23-25, 40.
America p105-8, 136.
Anglican Church p42, 46, 76, 83, 102-3, 105, 109.
The Arts p183, 185, 187, 191-95.
Assimilation p163-4.
Australian Imperial Force (AIF) p94, 97, 100.
Australian Labor Party (ALP) p78, 83-5, 113, 115, 120-22, 136, 138, 143-4, 146, 150.
Australian National Action p135, 153-5.
Baptists p102-3.
Les Barnes p126-7, 138, 140, 146-7, 149.
John Batman p9, 17.
Bell Street p18, 24, 27, 29, 53, 91, 102, 110, 130, 136, 152, 169, 188.
Maurice Blackburn p121, 143, 150.
Blyth Street p25, 27, 55-6, 173.
Boer War p90-4, 96, 101, 109.
Brick industry p29-30, 39, 43-6, 49, 51, 55, 82, 184.
Broadmeadows p23, 95-6, 141.
Brunswick City Council p59, 61, 65-71, 78-9, 81, 84, 87-8, 92, 97, 100-1, 108-9, 113, 115, 119, 128-30, 132, 141, 143, 145-8, 151, 153, 155, 178, 184-2, 191-2, 194.
Brunswick Road p19, 25, 32, 50, 80, 82, 93, 133, 135.
Brunswick Town Hall p92-4, 100, 109-10, 126-7, 133, 140-1, 151-3.
Building industry p51, 114, 134.
Built environment p20, 37, 56, 59, 105, 159, 182, 184.
Campbellfield p27, 32, 49.
Capitalism p80, 120-1, 135-8, 149-50.
Carlton p16, 18, 25, 71, 93, 139-40, 160, 171-2, 189.
Catholics p42, 46, 74-89, 110, 135, 140.
Celebrations and festivals p92, 133, 153-4, 178-9, 183-4,186, 192-3.
Cemeteries p16, 19, 23, 49, 99.
Central Unemployed Committee p120, 122-3, 134, 140.
Champ Street p20, 27.
Charities p115-8, 123-6, 133, 169, 170.
Chinese p62, 70, 158-60, 175.
Churches p1, 13, 19, 41-2, 52, 74, 76, 80, 87, 102-4, 109-10, 125, 164, 171, 176-7, 194.
Clifton Hill p50, 71, 85.
Stan and Noela Clough p57, 86, 91, 96, 103-4.
Coburg City Council p57, 64, 68, 98, 104, 113, 116, 119-20, 123-4, 129, 132, 136, 143-5, 166, 192.
Collingwood p71, 142, 144.
Colonial government p13, 17, 18, 23, 25, 35.
Commemoration p45, 91-4, 96, 98-102, 108-11, 148.
Communism p80, 89, 120-4, 135-50.
Community p41, 75, 108, 130, 154, 178-9, 186-7, 192-3.
Conscription p83-6, 88, 102-3, 120, 137.
Convicts and prisoners p18, 20-1, 25-6, 36, 44.
Noel Counihan p126, 138, 147-8, 193.
Franco Cozzo p166.
Laurie Cunningham p139, 155, 168-9, 198.
Montague Charles Dare p47, 54.
Michael Dawson p42, 47, 74, 77.
Depressions and recessions p39, 51-2, 82, 112-134, 135, 137-9, 141-5, 148, 181-2.
Dilera (Turk) p169-70, 173-4, 198.
Disease p12-13, 39, 92.
The Dreaming p5, 6, 16, 18.
Early settlers p8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 34, 36.
Essendon p40, 46, 54.
Evictions p121, 123, 126-8, 130, 134, 138, 140, 142.
Farming p19, 34, 39 42-3, 51.
Fascism p108, 121, 148-50, 161.
Fawkner p16, 25, 49, 99.
John Pascoe Fawkner p11, 17, 24, 36-8.
First land purchasers p11, 17-18, 20, 24, 33-9.
Fitzroy p71, 87, 108, 142, 186, 195.
Flora and fauna p8, 9, 11-12.
Food p164, 170-2, 175, 177, 185-6, 191, 196-7.
Footscray p10, 51, 55.
Free speech p143-8, 153.
Fundraising p77, 96.
Geology p6-8.
Germans p37, 92, 108, 158, 162.
Ferida Gilbadullina p171-2.
Neil Gilly p175.
Gold p40-3, 158.
Governments p116-7, 119-21, 126, 136.
Greeks p70, 160, 164, 166-70, 172, 174.
The Grove p47, 54.
Gulf Wars p75, 150-2, 173.
Harding Street p106, 108, 132-3, 158.
Mariana Hardwick p195-6.
Frank Hardy p118, 122.
Hawkers p53, 59, 61-3, 65-72, 132, 158, 166.
Health regulations p61, 64, 67, 132, 158, 170.
Hoffman Patent Steam Brick Company p45, 49, 51, 114.
Hotels p31, 37, 41, 44, 55, 57, 62, 77, 79-80, 92, 94, 99, 132, 147, 153, 158, 169, 186-7, 189.
Housing p37, 38, 41, 45, 47, 51, 57.
Immigration p46, 70, 79, 106-7, 151, 155, 157-77.
Industrial Workers of the World p136-7.
Irish p74, 76, 78-82, 84-89.
Italians p70, 107-8, 150, 160-70, 172, 174-5.
Japanese p104-5.
Jews p89, 108, 160-1.
Gwen Jones p108.
Frank Keane p136.
Keilor p24, 38.
Ladies’ Benevolent Society p116, 125, 170.
Land boom p34, 36, 41, 45-6, 49.
Land sales p18, 24, 34-6, 38-9, 46-7, 49, 51-2, 55.
League of Silent Knights p89.
Lebanese p164, 170-1, 173-4.
Pat Lewis p63.
Libraries p166-7, 172.
John Littlejohn p36, 38.
Val Long p16, 167, 177.
Lygon Street p50, 65, 139, 160, 191.
Tom Magg p103.
Shane Maloney p188, 190.
Maltese p162, 164.
Daniel Mannix p77, 84-5, 89.
Maribyrnong River p10, 12, 19, 22.
Market gardeners p39, 43, 62, 70, 158-9.
Mechanics’ institutes p144, 148, 152, 166, 193-4.
Melbourne p12-13, 17-18, 22-3, 31, 34, 39, 43, 46, 48-9, 59, 65, 67, 75, 78-9, 87, 89, 92, 104-5, 108, 127, 137, 145, 158, 166, 176, 177, 182.
Merri Creek p8-11, 19-20, 27, 30, 38, 55.
Methodists p37, 77, 102.
F.G. Miles p30, 43, 49, 52, 57, 94.
Military camps p95, 106.
Milli Giyim (mosque-run community shop, Sydney Road, Brunswick) p163, 176.
Moonee Ponds p23, 38, 54.
Moonee Ponds Creek p8, 10, 19, 47, 181.
Mal Mooney p137-8, 141-2.
Moreland City Council p111, 152, 179, 187, 189, 192, 194, 196.
Moreland Road p32, 50, 54-5, 59, 110, 131, 158, 187.
Multiculturalism p153, 155, 163-4, 171, 173, 176-9, 185-6, 190-1, 196-7.
Municipal councils p30, 31, 51, 57, 59, 61, 64, 69, 97, 116-7, 119-20, 125, 129, 140, 143, 150, 184.
‘Murph and O’Callaghans’ p87-9.
Muslims p75, 163, 169-73, 178.
Naming of Brunswick p74.
Nationalism p74, 77, 84, 90-1, 153.
New South Wales p17-18, 22, 24-5, 36, 75, 78, 88, 183, 164.
Northcote p9, 18, 44, 54.
North Melbourne p108, 140.
Orangemen p75, 78-9, 80-2, 135, 153-4.
Orators p47, 80.
Boyd Oxlade p2, 180-1, 190.
Parish of Jika Jika p18-22.
Parks p16, 81, 95, 104, 106, 110.
Pascoe Vale p23-4, 38.
Patriotism p90-2, 96-7, 102-3.
Sam Pennisi p166, 198.
Pentridge Stockade / Prison p9, 14, 17, 19, 25-9, 40, 44, 51, 54, 108, 115, 131, 148, 194, 197-8.
Claire Perry p184, 186, 195.
Mrs Peters p106.
Petitions p30-1, 132, 153.
Police p80-2, 88, 98, 130, 139, 145-8, 154-5, 187, 192.
Peter Ponge p168, 177.
Population p15, 37, 40-1, 54, 65, 76-7, 157, 159, 160-1, 167-8, 171-2, 175-6, 182, 185, 190-1, 197-8.
Port Phillip District p14, 17-18, 25, 36, 38-9, 42, 51.
Pottery industry p44-5, 49, 115.
Prahran p55, 65, 140, 144, 181, 195.
Presbyterians p42, 77, 82.
Preston p44, 46, 54, 139, 183-4.
Processions p26, 47, 75-80, 82, 95, 99, 109-11.
Protestants p36, 74-89, 110, 135.
Protests p87-9, 121, 124, 126-8, 130, 132, 139-40, 144-7, 150-5.
Public transport p46-50, 52, 54-5, 58, 81, 92-4, 96, 102, 105, 115, 134, 147, 173, 190.
Quarries p26, 39, 43-4, 46, 128.
Racism p70, 135, 153, 155, 161.
Rates p129-31, 133.
Refugees p161, 177.
Regulations p59, 61, 64-70, 72, 144-5.
Hugh Rennie p36, 47.
Rennie Street p37, 54, 129.
Retail commerce p37, 46-7, 51, 53-68, 70-1, 73, 97, 106-7, 114-15, 124, 126, 131-2, 134, 158, 164, 166-7, 170, 175, 178, 181-5, 192, 197.
Returned soldiers p70-1, 94, 97-9, 101, 110-11, 120.
Richmond p50, 136, 140.
Road boards p19, 24-5, 27, 30, 32.
Road construction p8, 14, 17, 19-20, 25-32, 41, 44, 46, 48, 82, 119, 129.
Road tolls p32-3.
Royal Parade p19, 31.
Schools p19, 41, 43, 52, 74, 82, 96, 102, 104, 164, 166, 168-9, 172.
Sectarianism p73-88, 135.
Socialists p120-1, 136-7.
Mrs Spalding p115, 120.
Wilma Spencer p169, 175.
St Ambrose’s Catholic Church p1, 16, 42, 76-7, 84, 87, 89, 104, 164, 168.
Street meetings p120-1, 135, 143-6, 148, 153.
Subdivisions p19-20, 25, 35-7, 39, 46-7, 49.
Surveying and surveyors p10, 18-23, 38, 189.
Sustenance system p116-20, 122, 124, 126, 127, 131, 134, 138, 140-2.
Textile and clothing industries p107, 116, 131, 133, 161, 169-70, 173-5, 181.
Theatres and cinemas p66, 86-9, 98, 133, 139, 164-5, 167, 184, 198.
Mr Theodoro p106-8.
Traders’ associations p133, 178, 183-6, 190, 194.
Traffic p30, 145, 182-3, 189-90, 196, 198.
Turks p162, 164, 169-74.
Unemployed Single Men’s Group p141-2.
Unemployment p51, 82, 89, 113-14, 116-31, 133-4, 136, 138, 140-6, 148-9, 171, 174-5, 182.
Union Street p30, 49, 52.
Victoria Street p36, 61, 66, 71, 128, 134, 136, 152, 166, 192, 195, 197.
Village reserve p18, 19, 24, 26, 37, 42, 53, 65, 102, 194.
Violence p88, 98, 120, 127-8, 130, 141-2, 153-4, 169.
Volcanic activity p7, 8, 10.
Wesleyans p37, 40, 42, 80, 82.
White Australia Policy p159-61, 176.
Thomas Wilkinson p37, 40, 42.
Window displays p59-61, 133, 143-4, 192.
Women p57-9, 62-4, 77-9, 81, 83-4, 86, 88, 92, 96, 98, 100-4, 109, 111, 115-17, 122, 124-7, 132, 164, 172-4, 176.
World War One p55, 70-2, 76, 78, 83-6, 90-1, 94-104, 109, 141, 161.
World War Two p62, 90-1, 102-9, 111, 134-5,149, 150.
Yarra River p6, 8, 18-19.
Youths p130-1, 143, 145.
Thomas Zuzulich p63, 69.