Know Your Place #5

Albert Jones Reserve

A most interesting "birth"; ignored and neglected in its recent decades.

12 adjoining housing blocks were available for sale - by two separate owners - below the elevated private land of one Albert Jones in Mount Street, Eaglemont.

Both owners were prepared to sell, at prices they felt were appropriate.

The Heidelberg Council moved in the court to "resume" the land i.e. compulsorily acquire it at a price arbitrated by the court.

Albert Jones and his wife Elizabeth were very active in the local community.

The Beatles brought us the song about Desmond and Molly Jones -
" Desmond has a barrow in the marketplace
Molly is the singer in a band
Desmond says to Molly, "Girl, I like your face"
And Molly says this as she takes him by the hand.

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da
Life goes on, brah
La, la, how the life goes on".

Around these parts we should be singing the praises of Albert & Elizabeth Jones, late of Mount Street, Eaglemont.

In 1906 Albert bought a parcel of 1.6 hectares (4 acres) of land in Mount Street, Eaglemont and built a house "Warringal" atop the hill. He lived there till his death in 1944.

Not a couple to sit down and enjoy the expansive views.

Elizabeth  came to Eaglemont when she married Albert in 1924. She survived until 1981, so was presumably much younger than Albert when they married.

Her community service included with the inaugural Parents Committee at the new East Ivanhoe Primary School, the "Sunshine Suzies" who made comfort garments for WW2 personnel, the Australian Comforts Fund and Red Cross.

She was a foundation member of the City of Heidelberg Welfare Committee, and as Convenor of the West Heidelberg opportunity shop worked to raise funds for service organisations.

Albert Jones was a J.P., and did much community work. He was largely instrumental in having the Eaglemont Station built on the Heidelberg line, and in establishing the Eaglemont Tennis Club (then in Odenwald Road) and Eaglemont Swimming Club.

He also was prominent in acquiring the parkland which bears his name between Durham and Devon Streets.

The original Jones land in Mount Street was sub-divided in 1951, creating Albert Jones Court. Descendants lived there into the 2000s.

The sub-divided blocks bear a covenant on the titles. The houses built must exceed £500 exclusive of fences, and pursuits such as brickmaking, butchery, fellmongering or quarrying are not to be carried out on the land.

Makes for a much nicer neighbourhood.

Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), Friday 2 January 1942, page 3

Diamond Wedding

When Mr. and Mrs. Albert Jones, Mount-street, Eaglemont, celebrated their diamond wedding at their home on Wednesday, their third great grandchild, Felicity Jane, the
baby daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Foster, University grounds, Carlton, was christened in the garden by Rev. Courtenay Thomas.

Mr, and Mrs. Jones were married at Scots' Church, Collins-street, by Rev. Dr. Charles Strong, who is still living at the age of 96.

From Eaglemont Station it is a steep 900 metre walk up over the ridge of Mt Eagle to access Albert Jones Reserve.

Hard going for young mothers or for grandmothers pushing a pram or stroller.

A contemporary newspaper report of Heidelberg Council's legal moves to acquire the land ultimately named "Albert Jones Reserve" is a little troubling.

The matter was determined in the Heidelberg Magistrates Court, where A. Jones was a sometime J.P. sitting on the Bench.

The parties were legally represented; witnesses were present, including one A. Jones for the Council.

The Magistrate declined a sellers' request that he inspect the land - some 1 km. away. He found in favour of the Council on the exact value they proposed, despite it being about 60% of the sellers demands.

Albert Jones would have been able to return home, stand on his front porch, and survey a fine expanse of land running down toward the Lower Heidelberg Road - land that would never be built on.

It would soon be created as a park by Heidelberg Council, which would tell the enquiring Eaglemont Cricket Club that the land was unsuitable for cricket.

Yes, as they say, not cricket.

Article Updated 28 July 2023

Report of Court Proceedings

South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic.), 12.05.1927, Page 3

Compulsory Resumption.
In connection with the desire of Heidelberg Shire Council to purchase an area of 3 1/2 acres of land for park purposes at Eaglemont, Mr. C. R. Tate and Mrs. M. A. Kealy, owners of allotments in Durham-street, were averse to accepting the price offered by the Council. The former asked £5 per foot frontage, and the Council offered £3, while Mrs. Kealy asked £4/15/, and the Council offered £2/51. The compulsory clauses of the Local Government Act were put into operation by the municipal authority, and the vendors appealed to the court. The cases were heard at Heidelberg Court. Witnesses for vendors valued the land at £4 per foot, and the council’s witnesses claimed that the council’s offers were just. Mr. Wade, P.M., found for the Council in each case, ordering that £3 per foot be paid for Tate’s land and £2/15/ for Mrs. Kealy’s, and directed that each of the vendors pay £7/15/ costs. (From Nilss)