Time Travellers in Essendon, Flemington and the Keilor Plains

Houses of Kensington

"A house named "Johnsville", location unknown".     Source: Leigh McKinnon posted to "Australia - Vintage Photos of Cities and Towns in Australia Facebook Group", 10 April 2018.

Cec Dennis-Lelean followed up the post saying that the house was at "74 McCracken Street Kensington (between the State School and the Wesleyan Church). Pictured is Mrs Jessie Douglas and her son John, whose uncle and grandfather were also named John. William Douglas, husband and father, had died in 1878. Jessie died in 1886". 

The woman's dress dates to about 1880, and the boy appears to be around 12-14, so I am a little doubtful about the identification of the Douglas mother and son.  By 1880 John would have been 24, and Jessie 66, neither age applying to the two in the photo.

The house, on the other hand, does conform with the shape of the front of the house shown in the MMBW plan from 1901, detail below.  The Douglases weren't in the house as early as 1880.  The 1884 Sands & McDougall Directory show two houses between the school and the Wesleyan church, occupied by Charles Dalton and J Rossthorn.

The above two notices were published in The Argus 5 Oct 1886.

Alex Bragiola advises that the house was built circa 1882 by James Rawsthorne a local builder, according to the rate books.  Presumably the J Rossthorn mentioned in the Sands & McDougall directories was actually James Rawsthorne.

A detail showing 74 McCracken St from a Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works detail plan,

799, Borough of Flemington & Kensington [cartographic material]. Date 1901.  State Library of Victoria.

The site has since been taken over by the school.