Footscray - The Lost World.

[merantau]

This being the "off season" I thought I'd start a thread to take, some of us at least, down memory lane.
Anyone have recollections of "Sam's Coffee Pot" on the corner of Geelong Rd and Roberts Rd?
Or "The Pasha" milk bar/take away in Leeds Street?
Hal Kennedy's Orama Ballroom?
Or Harry Hank's opposite Footscray Tech in Nicholson St.?Rumour had it that there was a knocking shop upstairs but I suspect it was just school boy talk.
Anyone remember Edward John's petrol station on Geelong Road. Apparently he'd invented a carby that returned 75 mpg but the petrol companies bought the patent from him and squashed it. He had the carby hanging up on his wall, or so the story goes. He sold every brand of petrol on the market. I've never been able to verify this story though - maybe an urban legend.
Latoof and Cahils skin stores in Dynon Road? White City greyhound track? It had its own railway station.
Tracey's Speedway in Maribrynong Road?
The Lonesome Road Folk Coffee Lounge in Ballarat Rd just near Rosamond Rd?

[The bulldog tragician]

There is a great Facebook page called Western Suburbs Memories, which documents many of these things, Merantau.

https://www.facebook.com/Western-Suburbs-Memories-1402297953355187/

[BornInDroopSt'54]

https://www.facebook.com/footscrayhistoricalsociety/photos/pb.288096448035045.-2207520000.1448589486./337444666433556/?type=3&theater

[BornInDroopSt'54]

There is a great Facebook page called Western Suburbs Memories, which documents many of these things, Merantau.

https://www.facebook.com/Western-Suburbs-Memories-1402297953355187/

Thanks so much Bulldogtrad, great memories and photos!

[F'scary]

When were these landmarks around? I ask because I have lived in the district for nearly 15 years and I think none of them were around even back then.

[F'scary]

But I do remember the bowling alley beside the station. Used to go there in the 80's and early 90's.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

http://robmanderson.blogspot.com.au/2005/06/mt-mistake.html

[BornInDroopSt'54]

But I do remember the bowling alley beside the station. Used to go there in the 80's and early 90's.

Scary have a look at https://www.facebook.com/Western-Sub...2297953355187/ and the photos give a year.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

"When the Footscray Council agreed that football, as well as cricket, might be played on Western Reserve (now the Whitten Oval), "the energetic committee widened the ground, moved the pavilion from the pound end to its present position. During this process the pavilion became bogged in about the centre of the ground, and nearly all the available horses in Footscray, together with the majority of the population, were requisitioned to 'move it on'."
https://www.facebook.com/footscrayhistoricalsociety/photos/pb.288096448035045.-2207520000.1448589486./318868734957816/?type=3&theater

[bornadog]

"When the Footscray Council agreed that football, as well as cricket, might be played on Western Reserve (now the Whitten Oval), "the energetic committee widened the ground, moved the pavilion from the pound end to its present position. During this process the pavilion became bogged in about the centre of the ground, and nearly all the available horses in Footscray, together with the majority of the population, were requisitioned to 'move it on'."
https://www.facebook.com/footscrayhistoricalsociety/photos/pb.288096448035045.-2207520000.1448589486./318868734957816/?type=3&theater

Thank you for finding that.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/v/t1.0-9/10613106_316790055165684_2657163123900650287_n.jpg?oh=21c987 a8fc90aeed0af5853d3f4296e0&oe=56E80067&__gda__=1457312631_ae0853153fd5fad6639e85150b723d55

[bornadog]

Anyone have recollections of "Sam's Coffee Pot" on the corner of Geelong Rd and Roberts Rd?


https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xft1/v/t1.0-9/q83/s720x720/10492070_310148315829858_5608197309271003945_n.jpg?oh=e60a1a 88bcb282167e5c430ccd85d607&oe=56DB006B&__gda__=1459145524_883809b32b30836b062a7b51d337107c

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

This being the "off season" I thought I'd start a thread to take, some of us at least, down memory lane.
Anyone have recollections of "Sam's Coffee Pot" on the corner of Geelong Rd and Roberts Rd?
Or "The Pasha" milk bar/take away in Leeds Street?
Hal Kennedy's Orama Ballroom?
Or Harry Hank's opposite Footscray Tech in Nicholson St.?Rumour had it that there was a knocking shop upstairs but I suspect it was just school boy talk.
Anyone remember Edward John's petrol station on Geelong Road. Apparently he'd invented a carby that returned 75 mpg but the petrol companies bought the patent from him and squashed it. He had the carby hanging up on his wall, or so the story goes. He sold every brand of petrol on the market. I've never been able to verify this story though - maybe an urban legend.
Latoof and Cahils skin stores in Dynon Road? White City greyhound track? It had its own railway station.
Tracey's Speedway in Maribrynong Road?
The Lonesome Road Folk Coffee Lounge in Ballarat Rd just near Rosamond Rd?
White City stadium was originally named Coursing stadium and was located near the Tottenham railway station on land now occupied by Olex Cables. It operated from 1927 before closing in 1955.
Tracey's speedway was great Saturday nights out for our family.I recall being at Hyde Street school with a Gordon Hanks and Jarred Hanks has been involved at the WBFC for a number of years in its Events department. Your thread brings back many happy memories.

[I'm Not Bitter Anymore!]

There is also a Facebook page called Lost Footscray which is very good

[bornadog]

White City stadium was originally named Coursing stadium and was located near the Tottenham railway station on land now occupied by Olex Cables. It operated from 1927 before closing in 1955.
Tracey's speedway was great Saturday nights out for our family.I recall being at Hyde Street school with a Gordon Hanks and Jarred Hanks has been involved at the WBFC for a number of years in its Events department. Your thread brings back many happy memories.
http://www.speedwayandroadracehistory.com/uploads/8/6/7/1/8671826/5609974_orig.jpg

[Twodogs]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xft1/v/t1.0-9/q83/s720x720/10492070_310148315829858_5608197309271003945_n.jpg?oh=e60a1a 88bcb282167e5c430ccd85d607&oe=56DB006B&__gda__=1459145524_883809b32b30836b062a7b51d337107c

I'm a kid walking to school. Went past it everyday.

Along Roberts st past the chemist, the butchers, Vesna hairdressers, Roccos Deli, The fruit shop, the ANZ bank, turn right at Sam's corner into Somerville rd and down to Kingsville.

[Twodogs]

White City stadium was originally named Coursing stadium and was located near the Tottenham railway station on land now occupied by Olex Cables. It operated from 1927 before closing in 1955.
Tracey's speedway was great Saturday nights out for our family.I recall being at Hyde Street school with a Gordon Hanks and Jarred Hanks has been involved at the WBFC for a number of years in its Events department. Your thread brings back many happy memories.


Jarred is a nice guy. He's been at the bulldogs for years.

[bornadog]

I'm a kid walking to school. Went past it everyday.

Along Roberts st past the chemist, the butchers, Vesna hairdressers, Roccos Deli, The fruit shop, the ANZ bank, turn right at Sam's corner into Somerville rd and down to Kingsville.

Two lots of my cousins went to Kingsville. They walked either straight down Wales st, or straight down Kingsville street

[SonofScray]

White City stadium was originally named Coursing stadium and was located near the Tottenham railway station on land now occupied by Olex Cables. It operated from 1927 before closing in 1955.
Tracey's speedway was great Saturday nights out for our family.I recall being at Hyde Street school with a Gordon Hanks and Jarred Hanks has been involved at the WBFC for a number of years in its Events department. Your thread brings back many happy memories.
My great grand father was the grounds keeper there. I believe my dad and grand parents lived on site for a time.

[Twodogs]

Two lots of my cousins went to Kingsville. They walked either straight down Wales st, or straight down Kingsville street

What years? Those old dears that lived in the houses in Chirnside, Wales, Empress, Kingsville and the streets off Somerville when I was a kid would be stunned to find out how much they are going for these days.

[Twodogs]

My great grand father was the grounds keeper there. I believe my dad and grand parents lived on site for a time.


I can remember the White City train stop-bit fanciful calling it a station. I think it bit the dust when Ginifer opened in the early '80s.

[I'm Not Bitter Anymore!]

Wasn't there a greyhound track at White City? Where monkeys rode on the back of the greyhounds (I hope that's true).

[Twodogs]

Wasn't there a greyhound track at White City? Where monkeys rode on the back of the greyhounds (I hope that's true).


I think coursing is greyhound racing.

[Remi Moses]

What years? Those old dears that lived in the houses in Chirnside, Wales, Empress, Kingsville and the streets off Somerville when I was a kid would be stunned to find out how much they are going for these days.
Some of us lived in those streets two. Very nice folk around those parts, but might be perceived as the wrong side of Willy rd;)

[merantau]

There is a great Facebook page called Western Suburbs Memories, which documents many of these things, Merantau.

https://www.facebook.com/Western-Suburbs-Memories-1402297953355187/
Thanks for posting that link. Some lovely old photos there

[Bulldog4life]

Wasn't there a greyhound track at White City? Where monkeys rode on the back of the greyhounds (I hope that's true).

There was one there. My great Uncles and Aunts had greyhounds who raced there. I also have heard about the monkeys but unfortunately all my rellos have passed on so I can't confirm it.

[bornadog]

What years? Those old dears that lived in the houses in Chirnside, Wales, Empress, Kingsville and the streets off Somerville when I was a kid would be stunned to find out how much they are going for these days.

I was brought up in Wales st across the road from the park, till I was 4 years old, then we moved. They would have gone to Kingsville during the 1970s

[merantau]

Our family arrived in Braybrook in April 1951. Ten pound Poms, we landed at Station Pier and from there were transported by bus to the railway estate in South Road which became known as "Pommy Island". The asphalt ended at Ashley Street. From then on it was a sea of mud. The houses poked up here and there like islands. There wasn't a tree in sight. No fences, no drainage in place, no sewerage.
The woman sitting in front of us on the bus was overheard saying to her husband. "Ee Larry. I wouldn't like ta liv' 'ere." Shortly after the driver stopped the bus mand pointed out their house. "Ee Larry," said Mrs. Morris, "I wanna go 'ome!"
You could walk from South Rd to the Maribrynong River through the paddocks. The Housing Commission Estate in Braybrook was yet to be built. There were hitching rails and water troughs for horses in Hampshire Road Sunshine.
But things changed very quickly. Services were put on. Fences went up along with roads and footpaths.
The population exploded. Everyone had a job. Reps from all the big firms used to come to school looking for apprentices.

Sadly it's unlikely we'll ever see times like that again.

[merantau]

I can remember the White City train stop-bit fanciful calling it a station. I think it bit the dust when Ginifer opened in the early '80s.
Yes, you're right. It was un-manned. Just a place to get on and off. Pity I didn't pinch one of the enamel signs. They were still there in the early 60s.

[Twodogs]

Funny you should mention the apprentice thing. One of my cousins left school early but he's landed an apprenticeship and we were saying how lucky he was. Back in those days he would have had a few to chose from.

[Twodogs]

I was brought up in Wales st across the road from the park, till I was 4 years old, then we moved. They would have gone to Kingsville during the 1970s


I was there from 1969 to 1975. Seven years including prep. Great school. Great education despite the odd psychopath masquerading as a teacher that used to be rife in the education system back then.