The history of the Eaglemont shopping village precinct, by Dawn Davis

(This must have been written in the mid 1990s - is anyone able to shed a bit more light on this?  And I'm sure there are readers who remember some of the people Dawn mentions - please let us have your stories too!)

In the daily course of running my business Eaglemont Antiques one of the most often asked questions is - “Where is Eaglemont,”, this leafy Melbourne suburb has maintained a certain degree of obscurity and may be in essence why the Village is so dear to the hearts of those that know how to find it.

- A personal interest and subsequent search for historical information about my shop, number 67 Silverdale Road, revealed a noticeable absence of recorded history about the village and the immediately surrounding precinct. Having “found” the Village back in 1985 when together with my husband we opened Eaglemont Antiques at no 60 (under the railway station), it was some six years later, after Peter’s tragic demise that I purchased number 67.

- Sutherland’s Victoria and Its Metropolis (Vol. 1 p. 274) describes Eaglemont in retrospect, from the time of the late 1880’s as:”Scarcely a suburb, but rather a favourite district for those who desired to have ample domains around their dwellings. It was regarded as a distinctly aristocratic locality; the beauty of the scenery, and the quiet romantic aspect of the place, gave it an early reputation among the Melbourne men of means, as a site for their country residences.”

- It was however, the railway connection from the Clifton Hill-Alphington line to Heidelberg in 1888 which made the sale of the land much more attractive to the home builder. A land developer named Bolden sold his estate named Heidelberg Heights to John Christopher and by 1889; he renamed the surrounding area Eaglemont. Following Christopher’s purchase, Eaglemont became annexed to the adjoining Mt. Eagle Estate under the Eaglemont Estate Co. A direct rail link to Melbourne, one chain wide roads lined with English trees and a covenant on each title preventing the construction of houses costing less than 750 pounds, were the claims of the Eaglemont estate prior to the first sale in 1890.

- To maintain the gentle landscape of the Estate, tree planting began in earnest with ornamental evergreen trees used extensively at various sites around Eaglemont. Street median planting of rockeries to assist the design and layout of streets with steep cross grades was undertaken with rockery walls as retaining structures.

-The Mt. Eagle sub-division declared in 1914 was to be based on a Walter Burley Griffin design and was the first and most successful of the W.B. Griffin estates in Victoria. It was designed to maximise the potential of this existing slope site, providing each allotment with a high standard visual and functional amenity. The irregularly curved streets and the internal parklands were innovations not seen before in Victoria. It was Griffin’s stated aim to give each individual a feeling of the wholeness of his landscape. No fences, no boundaries, no red roofs, to spoil this vista.

- Mount Eagle was the focus of a new beginning, with many houses within this sub-division erected in the style of Desbrowe Annear’s English Neo-Tudor design. Taken from both English and North European prototypes, this new style was to last in successive forms, until the late 1930’s.

- Construction was started in the late 1920’s to build the Eaglemont Shopping Centre in Silverdale Road, which was originally, a dead-end street leading down the hill from the top of Mt. Eagle, to the railway line. A Mr Wood re-subdivided lots 17 & 19 of the original estate into narrow 6-8 metre frontage, commercial allotments. Lots 1–8 occupy the north side of the extended Silverdale Road and Lots 1–17, the south and east sides. The local estate agents, Furnell, Terdich and Gahan appear to have been the selling agents. A plant nursery was located on the sloping hill opposite where a tall palm tree remains as a well known landmark.

- The Eaglemont Railway Station came into operation on 1st May 1926, the local residents having donated 500 pounds to the Railways towards the cost of the Station and a gift of land for the erection of a caretaker’s cottage on Allendale Road. Mrs Elligett and her daughter took up residence in the cottage and she, along with the help of a porter ensured that the ticket box on the station was manned and commuters were well looked after. Opposite was the site where Frank Gillies set up his dairy. Frank, a farmer whose herd of dairy cows grazed on the lush grasses of Banksia Street, Heidelberg, decided to set up an outlet for the sale of his ready supply of milk on the corner of Allendale and Robina Road. With a tin billy in hand, young Geoff Pitcher recalls he would run down the hill from the family home in Brooke Street to collect the milk.

- The first buildings that housed commercial operations were constructed at the south end between 1927 and 1928. The unifying elements of this precinct are from this era. The dominant buildings are parapeted, of two levels and are of clinker red brick. Brick piers differentiate each shop above the parapet header course and between them are gabled stuccoed panels which provide for shop identification. These shop “prototypes” appear to be from one architect’s designs. The shop fronts were originally bronze or alloy glazing sections above a glazed tile stall board. Splayed show window glazing led to double clear lacquered glazed doors and above them were obscured leaded glass lights decorated sparsely with symmetrical, coloured designs. Cantilever verandahs were obligatory and had small cornice mouldings and were sheeted presumably in patterned galvanised iron obvious on 70, 72, and 74 Silverdale Road, built in 1929.

- Mr. Taylor operated the newsagency located at no.70. It’s near proximity to the railway station was essential as delivery of newspapers was via train. This shop divided into two sections was the hub of the village, the post office and general store being well frequented especially on Saturday nights around 7.30, when arrival of The Sporting Globe with all the sporting results including racing and football, meant that you were sure to be able to rib your mates over whether Collingwood beat South Melbourne, and bemoan the fact that your horse came third in the last at Flemington. This distinctive pink newspaper was eagerly awaited, in fact, Henry Thomas said that if his luck was out on a Saturday night at the local Heidelberg Town Hall dance he would open his “Sport” and read in between brackets of dances.

- With the influx of families coming into the locality, competitive sport was a big part of life. The Eaglemont Tennis Club was formed in 1912 and appropriately located in Wimbledon Grove, moving in the 1970’s to it’s present location. The Eaglemont Cricket Club was located on Mt. Eagle.

- Mrs Dulcie Williams was the village chemist, located at number 72. A lady of diminutive stature she not only dispensed her potions and medicines in measured doses but her attention to detail was such that little was unnoticed by her eagle eye.

- A “ham and beef” shop was located at number 74. In the days before refrigerated dairy cabinets, Miss Webb would laboriously weigh and measure the sausages, sliced ham and cold cuts on her scales trekking up and down the four steps at the back of her store where the huge ice chest was located.

- Les and Wally Hamilton, known for their football playing prowess, owned and operated Hamilton’s Wood Yard at the south end of Silverdale Road. A petrol bowser was also part of their operation business and this was also a good place to fill up and catch up on the latest village gossip. Robert Finch was the butcher at number 61, later to be taken over by his sons as Fred Junior. Next door was Mr. & Mrs. Stych, the grocer, alongside a Cake and Confectionary store at number 65.

- Number 67, the building which today houses my business “Eaglemont Antiques” was later constructed in 1936 with geometric parapet detail and clinker bricks consistent with the period . The recessed doorway was divided and there were two entrances. Mr. Mansell Kingsford had successfully constructed a shop that was considered “state of the art” for it’s time. On one side of the building he conducted a real estate agency and on the other side, Lovell Thomas worked as the local dentist. Interestingly, there was no dwelling attached to this shop, just vacant land at the rear, that backed onto a private lane. Mansell was a member of the local Heidelberg Council and was responsible for several surrounding land developments in and around Eaglemont.

- Everyone knew “Snowy” (Bill) Papworth the boot maker at number 71; this shop divided into two parts, his nearby neighbour was Bill Allen, the fruiterer. Snowy was always on for a yarn. Later in the 1930’s Bill relocated his shop across the road besides the dressmaker.

- Some also recall the days earlier when Charlie Carter ran a small boot making shop on this side of the street alongside Bruce Inod, the barber. Ken Owen recalls Bruce sharpening his blade with the leather strop prior to giving some local lad a shave and haircut.

- George Minto was a man of good fortune. He ran a grocery store at Number 87. When lady luck came his way he decided to construct a grand two storey building across the road at number 82. Whilst residing upstairs with Mrs. Minto, he worked the downstairs as a grocer, but on obtaining a license to sell liquor, he became the local licensed grocer and according to Henry Thomas, he stocked “four packets of Corn flakes, plenty of smokes and added to his already growing fortune by selling alcohol to the locals imbibers."

- Mrs. Bryant took over the shop at number 87 and decided to open up a haberdashery store. A traveling circus often took over the vacant land to the side of her shop. It was always a welcome sight for the local children who rode their “billy carts” down Charlton Road to see the elephants and monkeys or feed the horses that were grazing on lush grass growing on the vacant block.

- Whilst continuation of the precinct to Alandale Road was achieved through canopy and period façade detail, the character was largely more identifiable as an enclosed urban entity by its relatively narrow street. Some of the business owners lived above their shops. After the Second World War, the subsequent development of the construction in 1948/1949 of the railway station, embankment and shops to the west side of Silverdale Road was undertaken. Mr. Howard Gillies recalls a milliner set up shop in one of the shops under the railway station. Mr and Mrs Speed took over Daisy Del’s Cake and Confectionary shop at number 69 where Mr. Speed set up a watchmaking business to the left of the shop, leaving the servicing of customers in the new delicatessen up to Mrs. Speed. Their son Wally eventually took over the business and lived above the shop until the late eighties.

- Under the current Banyule Planning Scheme, the shopping centre is zoned Business 1 (B1Z). Whilst a heritage overlay exists and the overlay schedule states that external paint controls apply, along with alterations to all buildings, road works and associated street furniture inappropriate renovation of some of the shop fronts has meant that the street scape has changed considerably, even in the comparatively short time I have been in the Village. This form of protection is extremely important as the heritage buildings within the centre, along with the manner in which traders operate constitute contributing factors that give the village an ambience that is valued amongst the people that live within, and those who visit the area.

- Whilst to date considerable time and effort has also been employed recording, collating and compiling the oral history as given, along with the facts and folk lore, it is my ultimate aim to produce a book to acknowledge the significant heritage of Eaglemont and also to provide a living two-dimensional catalogue of this community’s history.

- Whilst the book’s purpose is primarily informative, chronologically outlining the history of Eaglemont Village and the surrounding areas, it will also touch on the social history and life styles of some of the residents who lived here. In essence, it will be a living interpretation of village life. It is envisaged that this undertaking will be viewed as a community project. To do this I will need help. To reach the point where we are at, I must thank Mr and Mrs Geoff Pitcher, Mr and Mrs Henry Thomas, Howard Gillies, Ken Owen and Colin Mooney, Heather Low, Jane Crone and Jackie Fisher along with several other local identities who have been very encouraging and most supportive. If any member of the Heidelberg Historical Society has any photographic evidence, story to relate or any other relevant information I would be more than delighted to hear from you.

- The physical confinement and homogenous 1920-30s architectural character of the Eaglemont Shopping Village make this area one of Melbourne’s most original and distinctive commercial developments of that era. It is now recognised as being of special historical significance.

- Whilst changes to the local environment are inevitable as things are not static, it is clear that people become attached to the character of their local environment. I am vitally aware of the importance of preserving the existing local identity and the uniqueness of this delightful suburb.

- My general aim in acknowledging where Eaglemont is, is to enlighten and also provide a living three-dimensional catalogue of this community’s history. Unlike a museum, where exhibits are seen out of the context it is only by making a special visit to an area, that one can become acquainted with a town’s built form and therefore be provided with an everyday experience of what our culture has achieved and how it has developed.