History Ramble 5: Northcote Town Hall Precinct

Route: Town Hall, James St through to Westbourne Grove and back to Town Hall
Terrain: Paved footpath; lightly hilly. Approx distance: 1.2km
Easy access: No. 86 tram - Northcote Town Hall stop.

A relatively short walk with lots of early Northcote History.

William Rucker, a German immigrant, established the first bank in Melbourne then moved on to land speculation by buying some substantial land holdings on Northcote Hill through to Brunswick. He sold some of the prime land west of High St, to George James in 1842. The block (now between James St and Westbourne Grove) became known as James’ Paddock, initially a small farm with an orchard.

By 1843 Rucker was bankrupt and his land holdings were owned by his ex-Union Bank. They subdivided the land and named the current streets in 1853/4. In 1884 James’ Paddock was put up for sale and became the site of the Town Hall. By then, grand houses were built on the western side of the Hill, the pristine scenic outlook attracting the well off for ‘The Balcony of Melbourne’ views. Many prominent Northcote identities have lived here.

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START IN OPEN SPACE BETWEEN TOWN HALL & FORMER LIBRARY
High St – This is old English for main road. Originally named Plenty Rd and was part of the ‘Hoddle Line’. An early straight line used as center line for mapping Melbourne and Victoria.
Former council administration building (1966 – 2000). Now open space between Free Library and Town Hall. It was a Modernist steel and glass council building. After 1994 Northcote and Preston merged into the new council – Darebin. The overcrowded and leaking building was demolished and a new council building was established at Preston.
Former Sunnyside Residence (1840s - 1925 / Epiphany Church (1927). Is diagonally opposite this site. Sunnyside was erected on the highest point in the district. Local folklore has it that Rucker, built the house in 1841. This is questionable as he built his house, ‘Stony Park’ in Brunswick. A succession of influential owners including Thomas A’Beckett, Chief Justice of Victoria also lived in this house. Then came wealthy merchants connected with the development of Northcote. John J Morris extended and named the house ‘Sunnyside’. He resided here for 30 years. W.H. Clauscen, a furniture retailer in Fitzroy, followed and encouraged the building of the Northcote cable tram. One of the last owners was E A Riches, renaming it ‘the Alpines’. He lived there until 1918. In 1925 the now derelict Alpines was demolished. In 1927, The Church of the Epiphany was built on the site. Architect Louis R Williams designed this in a ‘severe brutalist’ style. Defying gravity by its height - ‘Northcote (Brick) Gothic’. In the rear grounds the school Westleigh College operated until 1961.
Former (Carnegie) Free Library (1911)
Built because of a ‘dare’. Robert Whalley, then publisher of ‘The Leader’ contacted the Carnegie foundation and obtained a grant for a Free Library. One of the three municipal buildings on the hill that have a consistency of architectural style despite 40 years of construction.
183 High St - corner James & High Sts. (c1923) This was the home of Albert Hartkopf, a physician and sportsman.

HEAD WEST - TURNING INTO JAMES ST
This was initially called Merri St. Note how High St is lower than both sides of James St (east and west). The hill was cut down in the nineteenth century.
43 James St - Former Northcote Police - (1891-) Queen Anne Style.
The establishment of the police on the ‘hill’ cemented the ‘Upper Northcote’ domination over the original ‘Lower’ / Westgarth settlement.
40 - 42 James St – former Presbyterian Church (1894)
The Presbyterians originally worshipped in a Church hall in Westgarth. The Progressive Rev Duncan Fraser led the Pushto to build this church. Early folklore has it that two Aboriginals were buried in this area. The old church was moved here and used as Sunday School for about twenty years. Then it was moved again. Now apartments.
36 James St - ‘Wallingford’ (1901) _Arts and Craft
Mary Casey lived here in late 1920s. She may be related to Maie Casey who lived at Stony Park.
27 James St (originally No. 29) on larger block (c1880s)
A much-modified building with stables at rear. The original design can be seen in the set back. Peter Slater lived here. His brother was a draper, on High St.
25 James St. Brick 1880s cottage with bay windows. John Cain Senior lived here from 1925 to at least 1950. (Father of John Cain Junior.) He previously at 83 High St and 37 James St and appears to have moved in here when he married to Dorothea Vera Grinrod of Westgarth.

21 James St (1880s) (corner McIntosh St) Two story-Victorian Terrace. This is an unusually narrow building - perhaps there was plans for a ‘twin’ property that never eventuated.

23 James St - corner Mc

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