Time Travellers in Essendon, Flemington and the Keilor Plains
Shirley Peat outside the photographic shop in Mt Alexander Rd, circa 1946. The palm tree, which
appears to have been not long planted in 1946, is still there. The railway bridge is to the right of the
picture. Courtesy of Robert Hildebrandt.
Bottom left is the Essendon Railway Bridge across Mt Alexander Rd, Essendon, 1910. Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works detail plan. 1656, Town of Essendon [cartographic material]. Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works. [Melbourne] : MMBW 1910. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/125665.
Essendon Railway Bridge, looking north, circa 1910. The building on the far side of the bridge, centre, is the old Essendon Fire Station which sat in the median strip in Mt Alexander Rd. It opened in 1906, and closed in 1930 to make way for a duplication of the tram track to North Essendon. Courtesy of the Public Record Office Victoria collection VPRS 12800/ P3 item ADV 0337.
To the right of the foreground, out of sight, was a row of business premises which included a Kodak processing lab operated by Harrington's Ltd in the period 1936 to 1944/45. To the left of the foreground, out of sight, was the woodyard operated by L S Warner. (See below)
The Essendon Fire Station, which can be seen in the background of the previous photo. No date, but prior to 1930.
Courtesy of the Station Library of Victoria Collection. H8288/C http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/452948
View under the rail bridge from the north, looking towards Essendon junction. The single tram track can be seen on the west side of the road. Courtesy of the Public Record Office Victoria collection VPRS 12800/ P3 item ADV 0200.
These business premises were on Mt Alexander Rd to the east of the railway bridge. Note Harrington's on the far left where Shirley Peat later worked. Circa 1925. Courtesy of Robert Hildebrandt.
In 1930 the rail bridge was widened to accommodate duplication of the tramline. Courtesy of the Public
Record Office Victoria collection VPRS 12800/ P3 item ADV 0832.
This image taken in the 1950s shows the widened road, and the pine trees in the previous photo have
grown much taller. One of those pines survives today. Courtesy of the Public Record Office Victoria
collection VPRS 12800/ P3 item ADV 1698.
Shirley May Peat left school aged 15 in 1943 and in 1944 commenced work at Harrington's, and a number of photos of Shirley and her girlfriends taken outside the shop give a general view of the surrounds of the railway bridge.
Shirley and Lillian Mercer outside Kodak, 24 Novembeer 1948. Courtesy of Robert Hildebrandt.
Another lunch shot at Kodak, showing Lil Mercer, Shirley Peat and Lillian Humphries. Courtesy of Robert Hildebrandt.
Shirley and friend Lorna outside Kodak, circa 1946. The picket fence behind is next to the railway line.
Courtesy of Robert Hildebrandt.
Shirley Peat outside the photographic shop with the fuel merchant's buildings across the road in the railway yards, circa 1946. Courtesy of Robert Hildebrandt.