History Ramble 4: Preston South / Gowerville

Approx distance: 2km
Moderate access: Tram, car or bike.
Terrain: Paved footpath. Slightly hilly

This historical walk along Hotham St covers two hospitals, brick holes, a major nursery supplier, tannery connections, grand and not so grand houses.

Able Gower purchased the first land in the area, however it was a farmer, Thomas W Bransgrove, who opened up much of the area. In the 1920s the greater part of Preston was still rural but brickmaking, haymaking, bacon curing and making of leather goods developed attracting 'new wealth' to the area.

‘Cosmopolitan’ Gowerville soon added nurseries and dairying as industries. Pork and small goods were synonymous with the junction of High and Dundas Sts with Plenty Rd. Nicknamed ‘Porkopolis’, businesses included Huttons Hams “Is Best”, Watson & Patterson smallgoods. There were other industries including Howe Leather together with many brick and tile-works.

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START AT CORNER OF OSBOURNE & HOTHAM STS
Bell City Centre - former PANCH hospital (1960-1994)
A hospital was first considered in 1941 for soldiers. Local communities raised almost a quarter of original planned costs. Unfortunately, it did not open until Feburary1960 well after it was needed. It became noted for plastic surgery
56 – 86 Hotham St - Builders Terrace (1880s). This was a speculative development by Builders Brickworks, opposite, which owned much of the land. Note the end wall, facing Bell St has poorer quality bricks used in it.
Gowerville/South Preston Primary School No. 824 (1878). With the growth of population in the area, there was an urgent need for a school. First school was built in 1878, and renamed South Preston State School No. 824 in 1902. This school was much altered from the original. A large fire in 1968 meant it had to be fully rebuilt.
T A Cochrane Reserve / Former Brickworks (1870s-1893). Gotllieb and Julius Arndt developed a number of clay holes including their main clay pit, in the area in early 1870s. Old clay holes were a common feature of South Preston, Northcote & Brunswick. The clay was used for the production of bricks. Eventually these would be filled with rubbish and turned into parkland. Frank Arthur Harris bought Arndt’s clay hole at a time when it was employing some 100one hundred people. He sold it again in 1888 to a new company Builders Brick & Tile Co. They did not survive the 1890s Depression. Older locals can remember abandoned kilns that were still standing in 1915. Harris builds ‘Barunah’, a ‘tower house’ on corner of Newcastle and Dundas Sts. He was bankrupt 1895. Legend has it that he never got to live in his great mansion.

HEAD SOUTH
73 & 75 Hotham St (1915). These dwellings appear similar but the front roof has been drastically altered. W.H, MacDonald lived here in the 1920s and 30s. It is believed he was a contractor during the 1920s and built St Mary’s Church of England. He was a veteran of WW1 but lost his business during the 20s. He went on to become a building inspector for the Council.
10 Brighton Ave. (1930s). This is a large green weatherboard with extant chimneys. Have a look at the interesting side feature, which may have been an old service entrance. It was the home of a Mrs Slattery whose family ran the local general store and fruiter at 226 Raglan St.

TURN RIGHT INTO FLETT ST – HEAD WEST - STOP AT NO. 9
Flett St was one of the earliest settled streets. Today the small cottages from numbers 7-31 still reflect early 20th century.
No 7. The Young family lived continuously from 1901 well into the 1960s.
No 13. The Cox family lived here until 1940. Mrs. P M Cox was a music teacher with Mrs. Phoebe Cox. They may have been related to William Cox, who was a local carriage builder.
No31. Early settler Robert Heslop lived here. It is a solid brick large structure much altered.

RETURN TO CORNER OF RAGLAN & HOTHAM STS- CROSS OVER HOTHAM ST – HEADING WEST
226 Raglin- St ‘Aram’ (c1880s). By 1920 this was a general store and was run for decades by the Slattery family. First by William P Slattery from around 1920, and then by Mrs. A E Slattery. There was still a grocer here until the 1040s. The Slattery family have long associations with Gowerville and lived at 10 Brighton St. Jack Slattery, was a dairyman in the 1900s
228 Raglin St - ‘Fern Villa’ (c1880s). This is a double fronted cottage where the Clotz family of butchers, lived for decades. Later -on it was owned by William White also a butcher then Thomas White a saddler.
230 Raglan St (1880s). Two storey brick Victorian terrace. This was purchased in 1889 by George Herring, brick maker and speculator. Lewis Clotz lived here in 1910.
227-245 Raglan St (c1880s) Brick Carters Cottages. Here you can see a set of 1880s Victorian brick cottages. Built by Preston Pottery & Tileworks for their carters. Exampl

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